to the Church by one Sermon still our Christnings were equall to our burials at least Therefore when Christ saies to the Church Luke 12.32 Feare not little flock it was not Quia de magnominuitur sed quia de pusillo crescit saies Chrysologus Not because it should fall from great to little but rise from little to great Such care had Christ of the growth thereof and then such care of the establishment and power thereof as that the first time that ever he names the Church Mat. 16.18 he invests it with an assurance of perpetuity Vpon this Rock will I build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against it Therein is denoted the strength and stability of the Church in it selfe and then the power and authority of the Church upon others in those often directions Dic Ecclesiae complaine to the Church and consult with the Church and then Audi Ecclesiam Harken to the Church be judged by the Church heare not them that heare not the Church And then Ejice de Ecclesia let them that disobey the Church be cast out of the Church In all which we are forbidden private Conventicles private Spirits private Opinions For as S. Augustine saies well Psal 49. and he cites it from another whom he names not Quidam dixit If a wall stand single not joyned to any other wall he that makes a doore through the wall and passes through that doore Adhuc foris est for all this is without still Nam domus nonest One wall makes not a house One opinion makes not Catholique Doctrine one man makes not a Church for this knowledge of God the Church is our Academy there we must be bred and there we may be bred all our lives and yet learne nothing Therefore as we must be there so there we must use the meanes And the meanes in the Church are the Ordinances and Institutions of the Church The most powerfull meanes is the Scripture Medium Institutie But the Scripture in the Church Not that we are discouraged from reading the Scripture at home God forbid we should think any Christian family to be out of the Church At home the holy Ghost is with thee in the reading of the Scriptures But there he is with thee as a Remembrancer The Holy Ghost shall bring to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you saies our Saviour Here Iohn 14.26 in the Church he is with thee as a Doctor to teach thee First learne at Church and then meditate at home Receive the seed by hearing the Scriptures interpreted here and water it by returning to those places at home When Christ bids you Search the Scriptures he meanes you should go to them who have a warrant to search A warrant in their Calling To know which are Scriptures To know what the holy Ghost saies in the Scriptures apply thy selfe to the Church Not that the Church is a Judge above the Scriptures for the power and the Commission which the Church hath it hath from the Scriptures but the Church is a Judge above thee which are the Scriptures and what is the sense of the Holy Ghost in them So then thy meanes are the Scriptures That is thy evidence but then this evidence must be sealed to thee in the Sacraments and delivered to thee in Preaching and so sealed and delivered to thee in the presence of competent witnesses the Congregation When S. Paul was carried up In raptu 2 Cor. 12.4 in an extasie into Paradise that which he gained by this powerfull way of teaching is not expressed in a Vidit but an Audivit It is not said that he saw but that he heard unspeakeable things The eye is the devils doore before the eare for though he doe enter at the eare by wanton discourse yet he was at the eye be fore we see before we talke dangerously But the eare is the Holy Ghosts first doore He assists us with Rituall and Ceremoniall things which we see in the Church but Ceremonies have their right use when their right use hath first beene taught by preaching Therefore to hearing does the Apostle apply faith And as the Church is our Academy and our Medium the Ordinances of the Church so the light by which we see this that is know God so as to make him our God is faith and that is our other Consideration in this part Those Heretiques against whom S. Chrysostome and others of the Fathers writ Lumen fides The Anomaei were inexcusable in this that they said They were able to know God in this life as well as God knew himselfe But in this more especially lay their impiety that they said They were able to doe all this by the light of Nature without Faith By the light of Nature in the Theatre of the World by the Medium of Creatures we see God but to know God by beleeving not only Him but in Him is only in the Academy of the Church only through the Medium of the Ordinances there and only by the light of Faith The Schooledoes ordinarily designe foure wayes of knowing God and they make the first of these foure waies to be by faith but then by faith they meane no more but an assent that there is a God which is but that which in our former Considerations we called The seeing of God and which indeed needs not faith for the light of Nature will serve for that to see God so They make their second way Contemplation that is An union of God in this life which is truly the same thing that we meane by Faith for we do not call an assent to the Gospell faith but faith is the application of the Gospell to our selves not an assent that Christ dyed but an assurance that Christ dyed for all Their third way of knowing God is by Apparition as when God appeared to the Patriarchs and others in fire in Angels or otherwise And their fourth way is per apertam visionem by his cleare manifestation of himself in heaven Their first way by assenting only and their third way of apparition are weak and uncertain wayes The other two present Faith and future Vision are safe wayes but admit this difference That that of future Vision is gratiae consummantis such a knowledge of God as when it is once had can never be lost nor diminished But knowledge by faith in this world is Gratiae communis it is an effect and fruit of that Grace which God shed upon the whole communion of Saints that is upon all those who in this Academy the Church do embrace the Medium that is the Ordinances of the Church And this knowledge of God by this faith may be diminished and encreased for it is but In aenigmate sayes our Text darkly obscurely Clearly in respect of the naturall man but yet but obscurely in respect of that knowledge of God which we shall have in heaven for sayes the Apostle As long as we
translation of the Septuagint which adds much weight and the currant of the Fathers which is of importance too doe all reade this place Apprehendite disciplinam Embrace knowledge and not Osculamini filium Kisse the sonne Of the later men in the Roman Church divers read it as we do Osculamini and some farther Amplectimini Embrace the sonne Amongst the Jews Rab. Solomon reads it Armanini disciplina Arme your selves with knowledge And another moderne man reads it Osculamini pactum Kisse the Covenant And Adorate frumentum Adore the Corne and thereby carries it from the pacification of Christ in heaven to the adoration of the bread in the Sacrament Clearly and without exception even from Bellarmine himselfe according to the Originall Hebrew it ought to be read as we reade it Kisse the Sonne Now very many very learned and very zealous men of our times have been very vehement against that Translation of the Roman Church though it be strengthned by the Chalde by the Septuagint and by the Fathers in this place The reason of the vehemence in this place is not because that sense which that translation presents may not be admitted no nor that it does not reach home to that which is intended in ours Kisse the Sonne for since the doctrine of the Sonne of God had been established in the verses before to say now Apprehendite disciplinam lay hold upon that Doctrine That doctrine which was delivered before is in effect the same thing as Kisse the Sonne So Luther when he takes and follows that translation of that Church sayes Nostra translatio ad verbum nihil est ad sensum propriissima That translation if we consider the very words only is far from the Originall but if we regard the sense it is most proper And so also Calvin admits Take it which way you will Idem manet sensus Pellican the sense is all one And therefore another Author in the Reformation says In re dubia malim vetustissimo interpreti crederc since upon the whole matter it is doubtfull or indifferent I would not depart sayes he from that Translation which is most ancient The case then being thus that that sense may be admitted and admitted so as that it establish the same doctrine that ours does why are our late men so very vehement against it Truly upon very just reason for when those former reverent men were so moderate as to admit that translation in this place The Church of Rome had not then put such a sanctity such a reverence such a singularity and preheminence and supremacy such a Noli me tangere upon that Translation It had the estimation then of a very reverend Translation and compared with any other Translations then the best But when in the Councell of Trent they came to make it as Authenticall to prefer it before the Originals themselves to decide all matters of Controversie by it alone and to make the doing so matter of faith and heresie in any thing to depart from that Translation then came these later men justly to charge it with those errors wherein by their own confessions it hath departed from the Originall Not that these men meant to discredit that Translation so as that it should not still retain the estimation of a good and usefull Translation but to avoyd that danger that it should be made matter of faith to be bound to one Translation or that any Translation should be preferred before the Originall And so truly it is in many other things besides the translation They say S. Peter was at Rome and all moderate men went along with them S. Peter was at Rome But when upon S. Peters personall being at Rome they came to build their universall supremacy over all the Church and so to erect matter of faith upon matter of fact then later men came to deny that it could be proved out of Scripture that Peter was at Rome So the Ancients spoke of many Sacraments so they did of Purgatory so they did of many things controverted now when as they then never suspected that so impious a fense would have been put upon their words nor those opinions and doctrines so mischievously advanced as they have been since If they would have let their translation have remained such a translation we would not have declined it since they will have all tryals made by it we rather accept the Originall and that is in this place Osculamini filium Kisse the Son The person then which was our first Consideration is the Sonne Osculamini The testimony of our love to this person is this Kisse Osculamini where we see that God cals upon us and enjoyns unto us such an outward act as hath been diversly depraved and vitiated before amongst men God gives no countenance to that distempered humor to that distorted rule It hath been ill used and therefore it may not be used Sacred and secular Stories abound with examples of the treacherous Kisse Let the Scriptures be our limits Ioabs complement with Amasa Art thou in health my brother ended in this 2 Sam. 20.9 He took him with the right hand as to kisse him and killed him Enlarge your thoughts a little upon Iudas case Iudas was of those who had tasted of the word of God Heb. 6.5 and the powers of the world to come He had lived in the Conversation in the Paedagogy in the Discipline of Christ yet he sold Christ and sold him at a low price as every man that is so unprovident as to offer a thing to sale shall do and he stayed not till they came to him with What will you take for your Master but he went to them with What will you give me for Christ yet Christ admits him admits him to supper and after all this cals him friend for after all this Christ had done two perchance three offices of a friend to Iudas He washed his feet and perchance he gave him the Sacrament with the rest and by assigning the sop for a particular mark he let him see that he knew he was a traytor which might have been inough to have reclaimed him It did not but he proceeded in his treason and in the most mischievous and treacherous performing of it tobetray him with a kisse He gave them a signe whomsoever I shall kisse the same is he Mat. 26.48 Dat signum osculi cum veneno Diaboli sayes Hierome He kisses with a biting kisse and conveys treason in a testimony of love It is an Apophthegme of Luthers Mali tyranni haeretiei pejores falsi fratres pessimi A persecutor is ill but he that perswades me to any thing which might submit me to the persecutors rage is worse but he that hath perswaded me and then betrays me is worst of all Mic. 7.6 Act. 20.30 When all that happens when a mans enemies are the men of his own house when amongst our selves men arise and draw away the Disciples remember that Iudas defamed this
been defiled But yet for all these Waters other Waters soaked in and corrupted them earely for for Baptisme the Disciples of Simon Magus annulled Christs Baptisme and baptized in Simons name and his Disciple Menander annulled the Baptisme of Christ and Simon and baptized in his owne name And then for the other Water Repentance the Heretiques drained up that shrewdly when they took away all benefit of repentance for sins committed after Baptisme David denies not nay David assures us that collectively the whole Church shall be beaten upon with waters Water multiplied Aquae multae Many waters so the vulgat reades this Multae that wee Translate here Great waters So multiplied Heresies The excellency of the Christian Religion is that it is Verbum abbreviatum A contracted Religion All the Credenda all that is to be beleeved reduced to twelve Articles of the Creed All the Speranda all that is to be hoped for prayed for expressed in seaven Petitions in the Lords Prayer All the Agenda all that is to be done in it comprised in ten Commandements in the Decalogue And then our blessed Saviour though he would take away none of the burden for it is an easie yoke and a light burden yet he was pleased to binde it in a lesse roome and a more portable forme when he re-abridged that Abridgement and recontracts this contracted Doctrine in those two Love God and Love thy Neighbour And then the Devill hath opposed this Abridgement by Multiplication by many waters many heresies for it is easie to observe that in every Article of the Creed there have been at least a dozen Heresies And in those Articles which were most credible most evident most sensible most of all Many more Heresies upon the Humanity of Christ then about his Divinity And then as in matters of Faith so for matter of Manners there was scarce any thing so foule and so obscene which was not taught by some Heretiques to be religious and necessary Things which cannot be excused things which may not be named made by the Gnostiques essentiall and necessary in the Consecration of the Sacrament And then when these waters of death were in a good part dryed up these grosse errors in Faith and Manners were reasonably well overcome Then came in those waters of Traditional Doctrines in the Romane Church which are so many as that they overflow even the water of life the Scriptures themselves and suppresse and surround them Therefore does David in this text call these many waters Diluvium Diluvium A flood of great waters many and violent For this word Shatach Inundans signifies Vehemence Eagernesse and is elegantly applied to the fiercenesse of a horse in Battel Equus inundans in Bellum A horse that overflowes the Battell that rushes into the Battell Jer. 8.6 Esay 15.9 Therefore speaks the Prophet of waters full of blood What Seas of blood did the old Persecutions what Seas have later times poured out when in the Romane Church their owne Authors will boast of sixty thousand slaine in a day of them that attempted a Reformation in the times of the Waldenses Surely sayes our Prophet These waters shall be Heresies there shall be Omnis sanctus And no man may look for such a Church as shall have no water Evermore there will be some things raw and unconcocted in every Church Evermore some waters of trouble and dissention and a man is not to forsake a Church in which he hath received his Baptisme for that But waiving this generall and collective application of these waters to the Church and to take it as the letter of the Text invites us Omnis sanctus surely every godly man shall finde these waters many waters floods of many waters for affliction is our daily bread for we cannot live in this world a spirituall life without some kinde of affliction for as with long fasting we lose our stomachs so by being long unexercised in tribulation we come to lose our patience and to a murmuring when it falls upon us For that last Petition of the Lords Prayer Liberanos à malo Deliver us from evill may as some interpret it suppose that this Evill that is Malum poenae Affliction will certainly fall upon us and then we doe not so much pray to be delivered from it as to be delivered in it not that afflictions may not come but that they may not overcome when they come that they may not be ineffectuall upon us For it was Durus sermo A harder and an angryer speech then it seemes when God said to his people Esay 1.4 Why should yee bee smitten any more Why should I keep you at Schoole any longer Why should I prepare Physick or study your recovery by corrections any farther When God was wearied with their afflictions and they were not this was a heavy case He afflicted them forty yeares together in the Wildernesse and yet he saies Forty yeares long was I grieved with this generation He never saies They were grieved but he was with their stupidity They murmured but they sorrowed not to any amendment So they perverted this word Non approximabunt They shall not come nigh thee they shall not affect thee That they must doe we must be sensible of Gods corrections but yet there is a good sense and a plentifull comfort in this word of our Text. To the godly man non approximabunt the floods of great waters though waters though floods though great floods they shall not come nigh him and that is our last word and finall conclusion Consider the Church of God collectively Non approximabunt and the Saints of God distributively in which Babylon you will in the Chaldean Babylon or in the Italian Babylon and these waters doe come nigh us touch and touch to the quicke to the heart But yet as David intends here 2 Cor. 4.7 they touch not us they come not nigh us for wee have treasures in earth-then vessels They may touch the vessels but not the Treasure And this is literally expressed in the Text it selfe non approximabunt eum not that they shall not come neare his house or his lands or his children or his friends or his body but non eum they shall not come nigh him For for the Church the peace of the Church the plenty of the Church the ceremonies of the Church they are sua but not illa they are hers but they are not she And these things riches ceremonies they may be washed off with onetide and cast on with another discontinued in one Age and re-assumed in another devested in one Church and invested in another and yet the Churches she in her fundamentall Doctrines never touched And so for us a wave may wash away as much as Iob lost and yet not come nigh us for if a Heathen could say Vix ea nostra voco That outward things were scarce worthy to bee called Ours shall a Christian call them not onely His
a considerable thing and hath in part the nature of materials for God to worke upon That Instruction which is the subject of the whole Psalem is that saving Doctrine That there is no blessednesse but in the remission of sinnes That David establishes for his foundation in the first verse and would say nothing till he had said that But then though this remission of sinnes which onely constitutes Blessednesse proceed meerely from the goodnesse of God yet that goodnesse of God as it excites primarily so it works still upon that act of man penitent confession Notum feci I acknowledged my sinne and Dixi confitebor I prepared my selfe to confesse my sinne ver 5. and thou forgavest all This then S. Hierome delivers to be the Instruction of the Psalme Hominem Hieron non propriis meritis sed Dei gratia posse salvari si confiteatur admissa That man of himselfe is irrecoverable But yet there is a way opened to salvation in Christ Jesus But this way is onely open to them who enter by Confession And though S. Hierome and S. Augustin differ often in the exposition of the Psalmes yet here they speake almost the same words The Instruction of this Psalme is Intelligentia qua intelligitur non meritis operum August sed gratia Dei hominem liberari confitentem sua peccata That no man is saved by his owne merits That any man may bee saved by the mercy of God in the merits of Christ That no man attaines this mercy but by confession of his sinnes And that that rule In ore duorum aut trium may have the largest fulnesse adde wee a third witnesse Intellectus est Gregor This is the Instruction that David promises Nemo ante fidem Let no man presume of merits before faith But in all this they all three agree Every man must know that hee may bee saved And that by his owne merits hee cannot And lastly that the merits of Christ are applied to no man that doth nothing for himselfe Quid est Intellectus August saith he againe What is this understanding It is saith he no more but this Vt non jactes opera ante fidem Never to take confidence in works otherwise then as they are rooted in faith For as hee enlarges this Meditation if thou shouldst see a man pull at an Oare till his eye-strings and sinews and muscles broke and thou shouldst aske him whither he rowed If thou shouldst see a man runne himselfe out of breath and shouldst aske him whither hee ranne If thou shouldst see him dig till his backe broke and shouldst aske him what he sought And any of these should answer thee they could not tell wouldst not thou thinke them mad So are all Disciplines all Mortifications all whippings all starvings all works of Piety and of Charity madnesse if they have any other root then faith any other title or dignity then effects and fruits of a preceding reconciliation to God Multi pagani saith he Idem There are many Infidels that refuse to bee made Christians because they are so good already Sibi sufficiunt de sua bona vita They are the worse for being so good and they thinke they need no faith but are rich enough in their morall honesty And there are Christians that are the worse for thinking and beleeving that it is enough to Beleeve It is not faith to beleeve in grosse that I shall be saved but I must beleeve that I shall be saved by him that died for me If I consider that I cannot chuse but love him too And if I love him I shall doe his will Ama operaberis Idem whomsoever thou lovest thou wilt doe what thou canst to please him Da mihi vacantem amorem I would bee glad to see an idle love that that man that loved any thing in this world should not labour to compasse that that he loved But purga amorem saith hee I doe not forbid thee loving it is a noble affection but purge and purifie thy love Aquam fluentem in cloacam converte in hortum Turne that water which hath served thy stables and sewers before into thy gardens Turne those teares which thou hast spent upon thy love or thy losses upon thy sinnes and the displeasure of thy God and Quales impetus habebas ad mundum habebis ad Creatorem mundi Those passions which transported thee upon the creature will establish thee upon the Creator The Instruction then of the whole Psalme is peace with God in the merits of Christ declared in a holy life which being the summe of all our Christian profession is farre beyond this Vnderstanding in our Text They have no understanding but yet upon this Understanding God raises that great building and therefore wee take this faculty The Vnderstanding into a more particular consideration Here is the danger He that at ripe yeares hath no understanding hath no grace A little understanding may have much grace but he that hath none of the former can have none of this God therefore brings us to the consideration not of the greatest but of the first thing not of his superedifications but of his foundations our understanding our reason For though Animalis homo The naturall man perceiveth not the things that be of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 yet let him bee what man he will Naturall or Supernaturall hee must bee a man that must probare spiritum prove and discerne the spirit let him have as much more as you will it is requisite hee have so much reason and understanding as to perceive the maine points of Religion not that he must necessarily have a naturall explicite reason for every Article of faith but it were fit he had reason to prove that those Articles need not reason to prove them If I beleeve upon the Authority of my Teacher or of the Church or of the Scripture very expedient it were to have reason to prove to my selfe that these Authorities are certaine and irrefragable And therefore Caeteris animalibus se ignorare natura est homini vitium If a Horse or a Mule understand not it selfe it is never the worse Horse nor Mule for it is borne with that ignorance But if man having opportunities both in respect of his parts and calling to be better instructed either by a negligent and lazy and implicite relying upon the opinion of others doe but lay himselfe downe as a leafe upon the water to be carried along with the tide or by a wilfull drowsinesse and security in his sins have given over the debatement the discussing the understanding of the maine of his beliefe and of his life if either he keepe not his understanding awake or over-watch it if he doe nothing with it or employ it too busily too fervently too eagerly upon the world I would it were true of them Facti sicut you are like the Horse and the Mule but Vtinam essetis I would
hath suffered more then himselfe needed That is a poore treasure which they boast of in the Romane Church that they have in their Exchequer all the works of supererogation of the Martyrs in the Primitive Church that suffered so much more then was necessary for their owne salvation and those superabundant crosses and merits they can apply to me If the treasure of the blood of Christ Jesus be not sufficient Lord what addition can I find to match them to piece out them And if it be sufficient of it selfe what addition need I seek Other mens crosses are not mine other mens merits cannot save me Nor is any crosse mine owne which is not mine by a good title If I be not Possessor bonae fidei If I came not well by that crosse 1 Cor. 4.7 And Quid habeo quod non accepi is a question that reaches even to my crosses what have I that I have not received not a crosse And from whose hands can I receive any good thing but from the hands of God So that that onely is my crosse which the hand of God hath laid upon me Alas that crosse of present bodily weaknesse which the former wantonnesses of my youth have brought upon me is not my crosse That crosse of poverty which the wastfulnesse of youth hath brought upon me is not my crosse for these weaknesse upon wantonnesse want upon wastfulnesse are Natures crosses not Gods and they would fall naturally though there were which is an impossible supposition no God Except God therefore take these crosses in the way as they fall into his hands and sanctifie them so and then lay them upon me they are not my crosses but if God doe this they are And then this crosse thus prepared I must take up Tollat Forraine crosses other mens merits are not mine spontaneous and voluntary crosses Tollat contracted by mine owne sins are not mine neither are devious and remote and unnecessary crosses my crosses Since I am bound to take up my crosse there must be a crosse that is mine to take up that is a crosse prepared for me by God and laid in my way which is tentations or tribulations in my calling and I must not go out of my way to seeke a crosse for so it is not mine nor laid for my taking up I am not bound to hunt after a persecution nor to stand it and not flye nor to affront a plague and not remove nor to open my selfe to an injury and not defend I am not bound to starve my selfe by inordinate fasting nor to teare my flesh by inhumane whippings and flagellations I am bound to take up my Crosse and that is onely mine which the hand of God hath laid for me that is in the way of my Calling tentations and tribulations incident to that If it be mine that is laid for me by the hand of God and taken up by me that is Sequatur me voluntarily embraced then Sequatur sayes Christ I am bound to follow him with that crosse that is to carry my crosse to his crosse And if at any time I faint under this crosse in the way let this comfort me that even Christ himselfe was eased by Simon of Cyrene in the carrying of his Crosse and in all such cases Mat. 27.32 I must flye to the assistance of the prayers of the Church and of good men that God since it is his burden will make it lighter since it is his yoake easier and since it is his Crosse more supportable and give me the issue with the tentation When all is done with this crosse thus laid for me and taken up by me I must follow Christ Christ to his end his end is his Crosse that is I must bring my crosse to his lay downe my crosse at the foote of his Confesse that there is no dignity no merit in mine but as it receives an impression a sanctification from his For if I could dye a thousand times for Christ this were nothing if Christ had not dyed for me before And this is truly to follow Christ both in the way and to the end as well in doctrinall things as in practicall And this is all that lay upon these two Peter and Andrew Follow me Remaines yet to be considered what they shall get by this which is our last Consideration They shall be fishers and what shall they catch men They shall be fishers of men Piscatores hominum And then for that the world must be their Sea and their net must be the Gospel And here in so vast a sea and with so small a net there was no great appearance of much gaine And in this function whatsoever they should catch they should catch little for themselves The Apostleship as it was the fruitfullest so it was the barrennest vocation They were to catch all the world there is their fecundity but the Apostles were to have no Successors as Apostles there is their barrennesse The Apostleship was not intended for a function to raise houses and families The function ended in their persons after the first there were no more Apostles And therefore it is an usurpation an imposture an illusion it is a forgery when the Bishop of Rome will proceed by Apostolicall authority and with Apostolicall dignity and Apostolicall jurisdiction If he be S. Peters Successor in the Bishopricke of Rome he may proceed with Episcopall authority in his Dioces If he be for though we doe not deny that S. Peter was at Rome and Bishop of Rome though we receive it with an historicall faith induced by the consent of Ancient writers yet when they will constitute matter of faith out of matter of fact and because S. Peter was de facto Bishop of Rome therefore we must beleeve as an Article of faith such an infallibility in that Church as that no Successor of S. Peters can ever erre when they stretch it to matter of faith then for matter of faith we require Scriptures and then we are confident and justly confident that though historically we do beleeve it yet out of Scriptures which is a necessary proofe in Articles of faith they can never prove that S. Peter was Bishop of Rome or ever at Rome So then if the present Bishop of Rome be S. Peters Successor as Bishop of Rome he hath Episcopall jurisdiction there but he is not S. Peters Successor in his Apostleship and onely that Apostleship was a jurisdiction over all the world But the Apostleship was an extraordinary office instituted by Christ for a certaine time and to certaine purposes and not to continue in ordinary use As also the office of the Prophet was in the Old Testament an extraordinary Office and was not transferred then nor does not remaine now in the ordinary office of the Minister And therefore they argue impertinently and collect and infer sometimes seditiously that say The Prophet proceeded thus and thus therefore the Minister may and must proceed so too The Prophets
to a not being that which it was before onely the name of God is I am In which name God gave Moses and does give us who are also his Embassadors so much knowledge of himselfe as that we may tell you though not what God is yet that God is God in the notification of this name sends us sufficiently instructed to establish you in the assurance of an everlasting and an ever-ready God but not to scatter you with unnecessary speculations and impertinencies concerning this God He is no fit messenger between God and his Church that knowes not Gods name that is how God hath notified and manifested himselfe to man God hath manifested himselfe to man in Christ and manifested Christ in the Scriptures and manifested the Scriptures in the Church the name of God is the notification of God how God will be called by man and that is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and how God will be called upon by man that is that all our prayers to God be directed in and through and by and for Christ Jesus If we know the name of God Qui sum I am that is beleeve Christ Jesus whom we worship to have been from all eternity to be God and then for more particular points beleeve those Doctrines quae sunt which are that is Quae sunt ubique semper as Lyrinensis sayes which have been alwayes beleeved and alwayes beleeved to have been necessary to be beleeved as articles of Faith through the whole Catholique Church if we know the name of God thus we have our Commission and our qualification in that Gospell Goe and teach all Nations Mat. 28.19 and baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost that is the name of God to a Christian the Trinity And least that Commission so delivered in the generall and fundamentall manner professing the Trinity should not seem enough it is repeated and paraphrased in the verse following Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you First there is a Teaching good life it self is but a commentary an exposition upon our preaching that which is first laid upon us is preaching and then teach them to observe that is to practise breed them not in an opinion that such a faith as is without workes is enough and teach them to observe All For for matter of practice He that breakes one Law is guilty of all and he that thinkes to serve God by way of compensation that is to recompense God by doing one duty for the omission of another sins even in that in which he thinkes he serves God and for matter of beleefe he that beleeves not all solvit Iesum as S. Iohn speakes he takes Jesus in peeces and after the Jews have crucified him he dissects him and makes him an Anatomy We must therefore teach all but then it is but all which Christ hath commanded us additionall and traditionall doctrines of the Papist speculative and dazling riddling and entangling perplexities of the Schoole passionate and uncharitable wranglings of Controverters these fall not in Moses Commission nor ours who participate of his we are to deliver to you by the Ordinance of God Preaching The name of God that is how God hath manifested himself to man and how God will be called upon by man That God is your God in Christ if you receive Christ in the Scriptures applyed in the Church And farther we carry not our consideration upon this second excuse of Moses in which as in the former he considered his insufficiency in the generall he considers it in this that he had not studied he had not acquired he had not sought the knowledge of those Mysteries which appertained to that calling implyed in that that he did not know Gods name His third excuse which induces a great discouragement Non eloquens arises out of a defect in nature whereas the former is rather of art and study and consideration and to be naturally defective in those faculties which are essentiall and necessary to that work which is under our hand is a great discouragement Lamenesse is not alwayes an insupportable calamity but for Mephibosheth to have been hindred by lamenesse then when he should have received favour from the King and setled his inheritance this was a heavy affliction Lownesse of stature is no insupportable thing but when Zacheus came with such a desire to see Christ then to be disappointed by reason of his lownesse this might affect him It is not alwayes insupportable to lack the assistance of a servant or a friend But when the Angel hath troubled the water and made it medicinall for him that is first put in and no more then to have lyen many yeares in expectation and still to lack a servant or a friend to do that office this is a misery And this was Moses case God will send him upon a service that consisted much in perswasion and good speech and he sayes O my Lord I am not eloquent neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken to thy servant Ver. 10. Where we see there is some degree of eloquence required in the delivery of Gods Messages There are not so eloquent Bookes in the world as the Scriptures neither should a man come to any kinde of handling of them with uncircumcised lips as Moses speaks or with an extemporall and irreverent or over-homely and vulgar language Prov. 16.1 The preparation of the heart is of the Lord sayes Solomon but it is not only that The preparation of the heart and the answer of the tongue is of the Lord. To conceive good things for the glory of God and to expresse them to the edification of Gods people is a double blessing of God Therefore does Hester form and institute her prayer to God so Ester 14.12 Give me boldnesse O Lord of all power but she extends her prayer farther And give me eloquent speech in my mouth And the want of this in a naturall defect and unreadinesse of speech discouraged Moses And when God recompenses and supplyes this defect in Moses he does it but thus I will be with thy mouth and I will teach thee what thou shalt say Still it is Moses that must say it still Moses mouth that must utter it Beloved it is the generall Ordinance of God of whom as we have received mercy we have received the Ministery and it is the particular grace of God that inanimates our labours and makes them effectuall upon you All that is not of our planting nor watring but of God that gives the increase But yet we must labour to get and labour to improve such learning and such language and such other abilities as may best become that service for the naturall want of one of these retarded Moses from a present acceptation of Gods imployment And so truly should put any man that puts himself or puts his son upon this profession upon that consideration whether he
bee new every morning too and all that he did in eighty eight in the last Centutry he shall doe if we need it in twenty eight in this Century And though he may be angry with our prayers as they are but verball prayers and not accompanied with actions of obedience yet he will not be angry with us for ever but re-establish at home zeale to our present Religion and good correspondence and affections of all parts to one another and our power and our honour in forraign Nations Amen SERMON VI. Preached at S. Pauls upon Christmas Day 1628. Lord who hath beleeved our report Domine quis credidit auditui nostro I Have named to you no booke no chapter no verse where these words are written But I forbore not out of forgetfulnesse nor out of singularity but out of perplexity rather because these words are written in more then one in more then two places of the Bible In your ordinary conversation and communication with other men I am sure you have all observed that many men have certaine formes of speech certaine interjections certaine suppletory phrases which fall often upon their tongue and which they repeat almost in every sentence and for the most part impertinently and then when that phrase conduces nothing to that which they would say but rather disorders and discomposes the sentence and confounds or troubles the hearer And this which some doe out of slacknesse and in-observance and infirmity many men God knowes do out of impiety many men have certaine suppletory Oathes with which they fill up their Discourse then when they are not onely not the better beleeved but the worse understood for those blasphemous interjections Now this which you may thus observe in men sometimes out of infirmity sometimes out of impiety out of an accommodation and communicablenesse of himselfe to man out of desire and a study to shed himselfe the more familiarly and to infuse himselfe the more powerfully into man you may observe even in the holy Ghost in himselfe in the Scriptures which are the discourse and communication of God with man There are certaine idioms certaine formes of speech certaine propositions which the holy Ghost repeats severall times upon severall occasions in the Scriptures It is so in the instrumentall Authors of the particular Bookes of the Bible There are certaine formes of speech certaine characters upon which I would pronounce That 's Moses and not David that 's Iob and not Solomon that 's Esay and not Ieremy How often does Moses repeat his Vivit Dominus and Ego vivo As the Lord liveth and As I live saith the Lord How often does Solomon repeat his vanitas vanitatum All is vanity How often does our blessed Saviour repeat his Amen Amen and in another sense then others had used that word before him so often as that you may reckon it thirtie times in one Evangelist so often as that that may not inconveniently be thought some reason why S. Iohn called Christ by that name Amen Rev. 3.14 Thus saith Amen He whose name is Amen How often does S. Paul especiallly in his Epistles to Timothy and to Titus repeat that phrase Fidelis Sermo This is a true and faithfull saying And how often his juratory caution Coram Domino before the Lord As God is my witnesse And as it is thus for particular persons and particular phrases that they are often repeated so are there certaine whole sentences certaine intire propositions which the holy Ghost does often repeat in the Scripture And except we except that proposition of which S. Peick makes his use That God is no accepter of persons Act. 10.34 for that is repeated in very many places that every where upō every occasiō every man might be remembred of that that God is no accepter of persons Take heed how you presume upon your own knowledge or your actions for God is no accepter of persons Take heed how you condemne another man for an Heretique because he beleeves not just as you beleeve or for a Reprobate because he lives not just as you live for God is no accepter of persons Take heed how you relie wholly upon the outward means that you are wrapped in the covenant that you are bred in a reformed Church for God is no accepter of persons except you will except this proposition I scarce remember any other that is so often repeated in the Scriptures as this which is our Text Lord who hath beleeved our report For it is first in the Prophet Esay There the Prophet is in holy throws and pangs Esay 53.1 and agonies till he be delivered of that prophecy the comming of the Messiah the incarnation of Christ Jesus and yet is put to this exclamation Domine quis credidit Lord who hath beleeved our report And then you have these words in the Gospell of S. Iohn John 12.38 where we are not put upon the consideration of a future Christ in prophecy but the Evangelist exhibits Christ in person actually really visibly evidently doing great works executing great judgements multiplying great Miracles and yet put to the application of this exclamation Domine quis credidit Lord who hath beleeved this report And then you have these words also in S. Paul Rom. 10.16 where we doe not consider a prophecy of a future Christ nor a history of a present Christ but an application of that whole Christ to every soule in the fetling of a Church in that concatenation of meanes for the infusion of faith expressed in that Chapter sending and preaching and hearing and yet for all these powerfull and familiar assistances Domine quis crodidit Lord who hath beleeved that report So that now beloved you cannot say that you have a Text without a place for you have three places for this Text you have it in the great Prophet in Esay in the great Evangelist in S. Iohn and in the great Apostle in S. Paul And because in all three places the words minister usefull doctrine of edification we shall by yours and the times leave consider the words in all three places In all three the words are a sad and a serious expostulation of the Minister of God with God himselfe that his Meanes and his Ordinances powerfully committed to him being faithfully transmitted by him to the people were neverthelesse fruitlesse and ineffectuall I doe Lord as thou biddest me sayes the Prophet Esay I prophecy I foretell the comming of the Messiah the incarnation of thy Son for the salvation of the world and I know that none of them that heare me can imagine or conceive any other way for the redemption of the world by fatisfaction to thy Justice but this and yet Domine quis credidit Lord who hath beleeved my report I doe Lord as thou biddest me sayes Christ himselfe in S. Iohn I come in person I glorifie thy name I doe thy will I preach thy Gospell I confirm my doctrine with evident Miracles and I seale
he alone for the salvation of all men as it is expresly said for this word in our Text they hath no limitation I came I alone that they all they might be the better Some of the ancient Fathers delivering the mercies of God so Illis omnibus as the articles of our Church enjoyne them to bee delivered that is generally as they are delivered in the Scriptures have delivered them so over-generally that they have seemed loth to thinke the devill himselfe excluded from all benefit of Christs comming Some of the later Authors in the Roman Church who as pious as they pretend to be towards the Fathers are apter to discover the nakednesse of the Fathers then we are have noted in Iustin Martyr and in Epiphanius and in Clement of Alexandria and in Oecumenius and Oecumenius is no single Father but Pater patratus a manifold Father a complicated father a Father that collected Fathers and even in S. Ierome himselfe and S. Ambrose too some inclinations towards that opinion that the devill retaining still his faculty of free will is therefore capable of repentance and so of benefit by this comming of Christ And those Authors of the Roman Church that modifie the matter and excuse the Fathers herein excuse them no other way but this that though that opinion and doctrine of those Fathers bee not true in it selfe yet it was never condemned by any Councell nor by any ancient Father So very far did very many goe in enlarging the mercies of God in Christ to all But waiving this over-large extention and profusion thereof and directing it upon a more possible and a more credible object that is Man S. Cyril of Alexandria speaking of the possibility of the salvation of all men saies by way of objection to himselfe Omnes non credunt How can all be saved since all doe not beleeve but saies he Because actually they do not beleeve is it therefore impossible they should beleeve And for actuall beleefe saies he though all doe not yet so many doe utfacilè qui pereant superent that by Gods goodnesse more are saved then lost saies that Father of tender and large bowels Moses S. Cyril And howsoever he may seeme too tender and too large herein yet it is a good peece of counsaile which that Rabbi whom I named before gives Ne redarguas ca falsitatis de quorum contrariis nulla est demonstratio Be not aptto call any opinion false or hereticall or damnable the contrary whereof cannot be evidently proved And for this particular the generall possibility of salvation all agree that the merit of Christ Jesus is sufficient for all Whether this all-sufficiency grow ex intrinseca ratione formali out of the very nature of the merit the dignity of the person being considered or grow ex pacto acceptatione out of the acceptation of the Father and the contract betweene him and the Son for that let the Thomists and the Scotists in the Roman Church wrangle All agree that there is enough done for all And would God receive enough for all and then exclude some of himselfe without any relation any consideration of sinne God forbid Man is called by divers names names of lownesse enough in the Scriptures But by the name of Enosh Enosh that signifies meere misery Man is never called in the Scriptures till after the fall of Adam Onely sinne after and not any ill purpose in God before made man miserable The manner of expressing the mercy of God in the frame and course of Scriptures expresses evermore the largenesse of that mercy Very often in the Scriptures you shall finde the person suddenly changed and when God shall have said in the beginning of a sentence I will shew mercy unto them them as though he spoke of others presently in the same sentence he will say my loving kindnesse will I not draw from thee not from thee not from them not from any that so whensoever thou hearest of Gods mercy proposed to them to others thou mightest beleeve that mercy to bee meant to thee and whensoever they others heare that mercy proposed to thee they might beleeve it to be meant to them And so much may to good purpose be observed out of some other parts of this Chapter in another translation In the third verse it is said His sheepe heare his voice In the Arabique tranflation it is Oves audit His sheepe in the plurall does heare in the singular God is a plurall God and offers himselfe to all collectively God is a singular God and offers himselfe to every man distributively So also is it said there Nominibus suo He cals his sheepe by their names It is names in the plurall and theirs in the singular whatsoever God proposes to any he intends to all In which contemplation S. Augustine breaks out into that holy exclamation O bone omnipotens qui sic cur as unumquemque nostrûm tanquam solum cures sic omnes tamquam singulos O good and mighty God who art as loving to every man as to all mankind and meanest as well to all mankind as to any man Be pleased to make your use of this note for the better imprinting of this largenesse of Gods mercy Moses desires of God Exod. 33.13 V. 18. V. 19. that he would shew him Vias suas His waies his proceedings his dealings with men that which he calls after Gloriam suam His glory how he glorifies himselfe upon man God promises him in the next verse that he will shew him Omne bonum All his goodnesse Exod. 346. God hath no way towards man but goodnesse God glorifies himselfe in nothing upon man but in his owne goodnesse And therefore when God comes to the performance of this promise in the next Chapter he showes him his way and his glory and his goodnesse in shewing him that he is a mercifull God a gracious God a long-suffering God a God that forgives sins and iniquities and as the Hebrew Doctors note there are thirteen attributes thirteen denotations of God specified in that place and of all those thirteen there is but one that tasts of judgement That he will punish the sins of Fathers upon Children All the other twelve are meerly wholly mercy such a proportion hath his mercy above his justice such a proportion as that there is no cause in him if all men be not partakers of it Shall we say sayes S. Cyril Melius agriculturam non exerceri si quae nocent tolli non possunt It were better there were no tillage then that weeds should grow Melius non creasse better that God had made no men then that so many should be damned God made none to be damned And therefore though some would expunge out of our Litany that Rogation that Petition That thou wouldst have mercy upon all men as though it were contrary to Gods purpose to have mercy upon all men yet S. Augustine enlarges his charity too far Libera nos Domine
whole parishes whom thou hast depopulated thy soule may goe confidently home too if thou bribe God then with an Hospitall or a Fellowship in a Colledge or a Legacy to any pious use in apparance and in the eye of the world Pay thy selfe therefore this debt that is make up thine account all the way for when that voyce comes Luk. 16.2 Redde rationem Give up an account of thy Stewardship it is not goe home now and make up thy account perfect but now now deliver up thine account if it be perfect it is well if it be not here is no longer day for Iam non poteris villicare now thou canst be no lenger Steward Esay 38.1 now thou hast no more to doe with thy selfe Here the voyce is not in the word to Ezekiah Dispone domui put thy house in order for morieris thou shalt die For there God had a gracious purpose to give him a longer terme but here it is foole this night repetunt not they shall but they doe fetch away thy soule and then what is become of that To morrow which thou hadst imagined and promised to thy selfe for the paiment of this debt of this repentance Be just therefore to thy selfe all the way pay thy selfe and take acquittances of thy selfe all the way which is onely done under the seale and in the testimony of a rectified conscience Let thine owne conscience be thine evidence and thy Rolls and not the opinion of others Non tutum planè sed stultum ibi thesaurum tuum recondere ubi non vales resumere cum volueris sayes Saint Bernard It is not providently done to lock thy treasure in a chest of which thou hast no key and to which thou hast no accesse Si ponis in os meum jam non in tua sed mea potestate est ut te laudare vel tibi derogare possim If thou build thy reputation upon my report it is now in my power not in thine whether thou shalt be good or bad honourable or infamous Sanum vas inconcussum conscientia a good conscience is a sweet vessell and a strong Quicquid in ea reposueris servabit vivo defuncto restituet Whatsoever thou laiest up in that shall serve thee all thy life and after and that shall be thine acquittance and discharge atthy last paiment in manustuas when thou returnest thy spirit into his hands that gave it And then reddidisti debita omnibus thou shalt have rendred to all their dues when thou hast given the King Honour the poore almes thy selfe peace and God thy soule SERMON X. Preached upon Candlemas Day ROM 12.20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap coales of fire on his head IT falls out I know not how but I take it from the instinct of the Holy Ghost and from the Propheticall spirit residing in the Church of God that those Scriptures which are appointed to be read in the Church all these dayes for I take no other this Terme doe evermore afford and offer us Texts that direct us to patience as though these times had especial need of those instructions And truly so they have for though God have so farre spared us as yet as to give us no exercise of patience in any afflictions inflicted upon our selves yet as the heart akes if the head doe nay if the foote ake the heart akes too so all that professe the name of Christ Jesus aright making up but one body we are but dead members of that body if we be not affected with the distempers of the most remote parts thereof That man sayes but faintly that he is heart-whole that is macerated with the Gout or lacerated with the Stone It is not a heart but a stone growne into that forme that feeles no paine till the paine seize the very substance thereof How much and how often S. Paul delights himselfe with that sociable syllable Syn Con Conregnare and Convificare and Consedere of Raigning together 2 Tim. 2.12 Eph. 2.1 6. and living and quickning together As much also doth God delight in it from us when we expresse it in a Conformity and Compunction and Compassion and Condolency and as it is but a little before the Text in weeping with them that weepe Our patience therefore being actually exercised in the miseries of our brethren round about us and probably threatned in the aimes and plots of our adversaries upon us though I hunt not after them yet I decline not such Texts as may direct our thoughts upon duties of that kinde This Text does so for the circle of this Epistle of S. Paul this precious ring being made of that golden Doctrine That Justification is by faith and being enameled with that beautifull Doctrine of good works too in which enameled Ring as a precious stone in the midst thereof there is set the glorious Doctrine of our Election by Gods eternall Predestination our Text falls in that part which concernes obedience holy life good works which when both the Doctrines that of Justification by faith and that of Predestination have suffered controversie hath been by all sides embraced and accepted that there is no faith which the Angels in heaven or the Church upon earth or our own consciences can take knowledge of without good works Of which good works and the degrees of obedience of patience it is a great one and a hard one that is enjoyned in this Text for whereas S. Augustine observes sixe degrees sixe steps in our behaviour towards our enemies whereof the first is nolle laedere to be loth to hurt any man by way of provocation not to begin And a second nolle amplius quam laesus laedere That if another provoke him yet what power soever he have he would returne no more upon his enemy then his enemy had cast upon him he would not exceed in his revenge And a third velle minus not to doe so much as he suffered but in a lesse proportion onely to shew some sense of the injury And then another is nolle laedere licet laesus to returne no revenge at all though he have been provoked by an injury And a higher then that par atum se exhibere ut amplius laedatur to turne the other cheeke when he is smitten and open himselfe to farther injuries That which is in this Text is the sixt step and the highest of all laedenti benefacere to doe good to him of whom we have received evill If thine enemy hunger to feed him if he thirst to give him drinke for in so c. The Text is a building of stone and that bound in with barres of Iron Divisio fundamentall Doctrine in point of manners in it selfe and yet buttressed and established with reasons too therefore and for Therefore feed thine enemy For in so doing thou shalt heape coales This therefore confirmes the precedent Doctrine and this For confirmes
and he from a Rabbi of the Jews Aben Ezra takes this to be an adjuration of the Earth as Gregory does but not as Gregory does in the person of Christ but of Iob himselfe That Iob adjures the earth not to cover his blood that is not to cover the shedding of his blood not to conspire with the malice of his enemies so much as to deny him buriall when he was dead that they which trod him downe alive might not triumph over him after his death or conclude that God did certainly forsake him alive since he continued these declarations against him when he was dead And this also may have good use but yet it is too narrow and too shallow to bee the sense of this phrase this elegancy this vehemency of the Holy Ghost in the mouth of Iob. S. Chrysostome I think was the first that gave light to the sense of this place He saies that such men as are as they thinke over-punished have naturally a desire that the world knew their faults that so by comparing their faults with their punishments there might arise some pitty and commiseration of their state And surely this that Chrysostome sayes is true and naturall for if two men were to be executed together by one kinde of death the one for stealing a Sheep perchance in hunger the other for killing his Father certainly he that had but stollen the Sheep would be sorry the world should think their cases alike or that he had killed a Father too And in such an affection Iob sayes I am so far from being guilty of those things that are imputed to me that I would be content that all that ever I have done were knowne to all the world This light which S. Chrysost gave to this place shined not out I think till the Reformation for I have not observed any Author between Chrysostome and the Reformation that hath taken knowledge of this interpretation nor any of the Reformation as from him from Chrysostome But since our Authors of the Reformation have somewhat generally pursued that sense Calvin hath done so and so Tremellius and so Piscator and many many more now one Author of the Romane Church one as curious and diligent in interpreting obscure places of Scripture as any amongst them and then more bold and confident in departing from their vulgar and frivolous and impertinent interpretations of Scriptures then any amongst them the Capuchin Bolduc hath also pursued that sense That sense is that in this adjuration or imprecation O Earth cover not thou my blood Blood is not literally bodily blood but spirituall blood the blood of the soule exhausted by many and hainous sins such as they insimulated Iob of For in this signification is that word Blood often taken in the Scriptures When God sayes when you stretch forth your hands Esay 1.15 Psal 51.14 they are full of blood there blood is all manner of rapine of oppression of concussion of violence When David prayes to be delivered from blood-guiltinesse it is not intended onely of an actuall shedding of blood for it is in the Originall à sanguinibus in the plurall other crimes then the actuall shedding of blood are bloody crimes Ezech 7.23 Therefore sayes one Prophet the land is full of bloody crimes And another blood toucheth blood Hosea 4.2 whom the Chalde Paraprase expresses aright Aggregant peccata peccatis blood toucheth blood when sin induces sin Which place of Hosea S. Gregory interprets too then blood touches blood cum ante oculos Dei adjunctis peccatis cruentatur anima Then God sees a soule in her blood when she wounds and wounds her selfe againe with variation of divers or iteration of the same sins This then being thus established that blood in this Text is the blood of the soule exhausted by sin for every sin is an incision of the soule a Lancination a Phlebotomy a letting of the soule blood and then a delight in sin is a going with open veines into a warme bath and bleeding to death This will be the force of Iobs Admiration or Imprecation O Earth cover not thou my blood I am content to stand as naked now as I shall doe at the day of Judgement when all men shall see all mens actions I desire no disguise I deny I excuse I extenuate nothing that ever I did I would mine enemies knew my worst that they might study some other reason of Gods thus proceeding with me then those hainous sinnes which from these afflictions they will necessarily conclude against me But had Iob been able to have stood out this triall Was Iob so innocent as that he need not care though all the world knew all Perchance there may have been some excesse some inordinatenesse in his manner of his expressing it we cannot excuse the vehemence of some holy men in such expressions We cannot say that there was no excesse in Moses his Dele me Pardon this people or blot my name out of thy booke or that there was no excesse in S. Pauls Anathema pro fratribus That he wished to be accursed to be separated from Christ for his brethren But for Iob we shall not need this excuse for either we may restraine his words to those sins which they imputed to him and then they have but the nature of that protestation which David made so often to God Iudge me O Lord according to my righteousnesse according to mine innocency according to the cleannesse of my hands which was not spoken by David simply but respectively not of all his sins but of those which Saul pursued him for Or if we enlarge Iobs words generally to all his sins we must consider them to be spoken after his repentance and reconciliation to God thereupon If they knew may Iob have said how it stood between God and my soule how earnestly I have repented how fully he hath forgiven they would never say these afflictions proceeded from those sins And truly so may I so may every soule say that is rectified refreshed restored re-established by the seales of Gods pardon and his mercy so the world would take knowledge of the consequences of my sins as well as of the sins themselves and read my leafes on both sides and heare the second part of my story as well as the first so the world would look upon my temporall calamities the bodily sicknesses and the penuriousnesse of my fortune contracted by my sins and upon my spirituall calamities dejections of spirit sadnesse of heart declinations towards a diffidence and distrust in the mercy of God and then when the world sees me in this agony and bloody sweat in this agony and bloody sweat would also see the Angels of heaven ministring comforts unto me so they would consider me in my Peccavi and God in his Transtulit Me in my earnest Confessions God in his powerfull Absolutions Me drawne out of one Sea of blood the blood of mine owne soule and cast into another Sea the
consideration upon David or upon the Jews Thereupon doe the Father truly I think more generally more unanimely then in any other place of Scripture take that place of Ezekile which we spake of before to be primarily intended of the last resurrection but secundarily of the Jews restitution But Gasper Sanctius a learned Jesuit that is not so rare but an ingenuous Jesuit too though he be bound by the Councel Trent to interpret Scriptures according to the Fathers yet he here ackowledges the whole truth that Gods purpose was to prove by that which they did know which was the generall resurrection that which they knew not their temporall restitution Tertullian is vehement at first but after more supple Allegoricae Scripturae saies he resurrectionem subradiant aliae aliae determinant Some figurative places of Scripture doe intimate a resurrection and some manifest it and of those manifest places he takes this vision of Ezekiel to be one But he comes after to this Sit corporum rerum meánihilinterest let it sighnifie a temporall resurrection so it may signifie the generall resurrection of our bodies too saies he and I am well satisfied and then the truth satisfies him for it doth signifie both It is true that Tertullian sayes De vacuo similitudo non competit If the vision be but a comparison if there were no such thing as a resurrection the comparison did not hold De nullo par abola non convenit saies he and truly If there were no resurrection to which that Parable might have relation it were no Parable All that is true but there was a resurrection alwaies knowne to them alwaies beleeved by them and that made their present resurrection from that calamity the more easie the more intelligible the more credible the more discernable to them Let therefore Gods method be thy method fixe thy self firmly upon that beliefe of the penerall resurrection and thou wilt never doubt of either of the particular resurrections either from sin by Gods grace or from worldly calamities by Gods power For that last resurrection is the ground of all By that Verévicta mors saies Irenaeus this Last enemy death is truly destroyed because his last spoile the body is taken out of his hands The same body eadem ovis as the same Father notes Christ did not fetch another sheep to the flock in the place of that which was lost but the same sheep God shall not give me another abetter body at the resurrection but the same body made better for Sinon haberet caro salvari neutiquam verbum Dei caro factum fuisset If the flesh of man were not to be saved Idem the Anchor of salvation would never have taken the flesh of man upon him The punishment that God laid upon Adam In dolore in sudore In sweat and in sorrow sbalt thou eate thy bread is but Donecreverteris till man returne to dust but when Man is returned to dust Gen. 3.17 God returnes to the remembrance of that promise Awake and sing yethat dwell in the dust A mercy already exhibited to us in the person of our Saviour Christ Jesus Esay 26.19 in whom Per primitias benedixit campo saies S. Chrysostome as God by taking a handfull for the first Fruits gave ablessing to the wholw field so he hath sealed the bodies of all mankind to his glory by pre-assuming the body of Christ to that glory For by that there is now Commercium inter Coelum terram there is a Trade driven a Staple established betweene Heaven and earth Bernard Ibi caronostra hic Spiritus ejus Thither have we sent our flest and hither hath he sent his Spirti This is the last abolition of this enemy Death for after this the bodies of the Saints he cannot touch the bodes of the damned he cannot kill and if he could hee were not therein their enemy but their friend This is that blessed and glorious State of which when all the Apostles met to make the Creed they could say no more but Credo Resurrectionem I heleeve the Resurrection of the body and when those two Reverend Fathers to whom it belongs shall come to speake of it upon the day proper for it in this place and if all the Bishops that ever met in Councels should meet them here they could but second the Apostles Credo with their Anathema We beleeve and woe be unto them that doe not beleeve the Resurrection of the body but in gong about to expresse it the lips of an Angell would be uncircumcised lips and the tongue of an Archangell would stammer I offer not therefore at it but in respect of and with relation to that blessed State according to the doctrine and practise of our Church we doe pray for the dead for the militant Church upon earth and the trimphant Church in Heaven and the whole Catholique Church in Heaveen and earth we doe pray that God will be pleased to hasten that Kingdome that we with all others departed in the true Faith of his holy Name may have this perfect consummation both of body and soule in his everlasting glory Amen SERMON XVI preached at VVhite-hall the first Friday in Lent 1622. JOHN 11.35 Iesus wept I Am now but upon the Compassion of Christ There is much difference between his Compassion and his Passion as much as between the men that are to handle them here But Lacryma pass ionis Chrisi est vicaria August A great personage may speake of his Passion of his blood My vicargae is to speake of his Compassion and his teares Let me chafe the wax and melt your soules in a bath of his Teares now Let him set to the great Seale of his effectuall passion in his blood then It is a Common place I know to speake of teares I would you knew as well it were a common practise to shed them Though it be not so yet bring S. Bernards patience Libenter audiam qui non sibi plausum sed mihi planctum moveat be willing to heare him that seeks not your acclamation to himselfe but your humiliation to his and your God not to make you praise with them that praise but to make you weepe with them that weepe And Iesus wept The Masorites the Masorites are the Critiques upon the Hebrew Bible the Old Testament cnnot tell us who divided the Chapters of the Old Testament into verses Neither can any other tell us who did it in the New Testament Whoever did it seemes to have stopped in an amazement in this Text and by making an intire verse of these two words Iesus wept and no more to intimate that there needs no more for the exalting of our devotion to a competent heighth then to consider how and where and when and why Iesus wept There is not a shorter verse in the Bible not a larger Text. There is another as short Semper gaudete Rejoyce evermore and of that holy Joy
trina immer sio that threefold dipping which was used in the Primitive Church in baptisme And in this baptisme thou takest a new Christian name thou who wast but a Christian art now a regenerate Christian and as Naaman the Leper came cleaner out of Jordan then he was before his leprosie for his flesh came as the flesh of a child so there shall be better evidence in this baptisme of thy repentance then in thy first baptisme better in thy self for then thou hadst no sense of thy own estate in this thou hast And thou shalt have better evidence from others too for howsoever some others will dispute whether all children which dye after Baptisme be certainly saved or no it never fell into doubt or disputation whether all that die truely repentant be saved or no. Weep these teares truly and God shall performe to thee first that promise which he makes in Esay The Lord shall wipe all teares from thy face Esay 25. all that are fallen by any occasion of calamity here in the militant Church and he shall performe that promise which he makes in the Revelation Revel 7.17 The Lord shall wipe all teares from thine eyes that is dry up the fountaine of teares remove all occasion of teares hereafter in the triumphant Church SERMON XVII Preached at VVhite-hall March 4. 1624. MAT. 19.17 And he said unto him Why callest thou me Good There is none Good but One that is God THat which God commanded by his Word to be done at some times that we should humble our soules by fasting the same God tommands by his Church to be done now In the Scriptures you have Praeceptum The thing it self What In the Church you have the Nunt The time When. The Scriptures are Gods Voyce The Church is his Eccho a redoubling a repeating of some particular syllables and accents of the same voice And as we harken with some earnestnesse and some admiration at an Eccho when perchance we doe not understand the voice that occasioned that Eccho so doe the obedient children of God apply themselves to the Eccho of his Church when perchance otherwise they would lesse understand the voice of God in his Scriptures if that voice were not so redoubled unto them This fasting then thus enjoyned by God for the generall in his Word and thus limited to this Time for the particular in his Church is indeed but a continuation of a great Feast Where the first course that which we begin to serve in now is Manna food of Angels plentifull frequent preaching but the second course is the very body and blood of Christ Jesus shed for us and given to us in that blessed Sacrament of which himselfe makes us worthy receivers at that time Now as the end of all bodily eating is Assimilation that after all other concoctions that meat may be made Idem corpus the same body that I am so the end of all spirituall eating is Assimilation too That after all Hearing and all Receiving I may be made Idem spiritus cum Domino the same spirit that my God is for though it be good to Heare good to Receive good to Meditate yet if we speake effectually and consummatively why call we these good there is nothing good but One that is Assimilation to God In which perfect and consummative sense Christ saies to this Man in this Text Why callest thou me good there is none good but one that is God The words are part of a Dialogue of a Conference betweene Christ Divisio and a man who proposed a question to him to whom Christ makes an answer by way of another question Why callest thou me good c. In the words and by occasion of them we consider the Text the Context and the Pretext Not as three equall parts of the Building but the Context as the situation and Prospect of the house The Pretext as the Accesse and entrance to the house And then the Text it selfe as the House it selfe as the body of the building In a word In the Text the Words In the Context the Occasion of the words In the Pretext the Pretence the purpose the disposition of him who gave the occasion We begin with the Context 1 Part. Context the situation the prospect how it stands how it is butted how it is bounded to what it relates with what it is connected And in that we are no farther curious but onely to note this that the Text stands in that Story where a man comes to Christ inquires the way to Heaven beleeves himselfe to be in that way already and when he heares of nothing but keeping the Commandements beleeves himselfe to be fargone in that way But when he is told also that there belongs to it a departing with his Riches his beloved Riches he breakes off the conference he separates himselfe from Christ for saies the Story This Man had great possessions And to this purpose to separate us from Christ the poorest amongst us hath great possessions He corners of the streets as well as he that sits upon carpets in the Region of perfumes he that is ground and trod to durt with obloquie and contempt as well as he that is built up every day a story and story higher with additions of Honour Every man hath some such possessions as possesse him some such affections as weigh downe Christ Jesus and separate him from Him rather then from those affections those possessions Scarce any sinner but comes sometimes to Christ in the language of the man in this Text Good Master what good thing shall I do that I may have eternall life And if Christ would go no farther with such men but to say to the Adulterer Do not thou give thy money to usury no more to the penurious Usurer but Do not thou wast thy selfe in superfluous and expensive feasting If Christ would proceed no farther but to say to the needy person that had no money Do not thou buy preferment or to the ambitious person that soares up after all Do not thou forsake thy selfe deject thy selfe undervalue thy selfe In all these cases the Adulterer and the Usurer The needy and the ambitious man would all say with the man in the Text All these things have we done from our youth But when Christ proceeds to a Vade vende to depart with their possessions that which they possesse that which possesses them this changes the case There are some sins so rooted so riveted in men so incorporated so consubstantiated in the soule by habituall custome as that those sins have contracted the nature of Ancient possessions As men call Manners by their names so sins have taken names from men and from places Simon Magus gave the name to a sin and so did gehazi and Sodom did so There are sins that run in Names in Families in Blood Hereditary sins entailed sins and men do almost prove their Gentry by those sins and are scarce beleeved to be rightly borne if
accrues to us we shall see that though it be presented by Reason before and illustrated by Reason after yet the roote and foundation thereof is in Faith though Reason may chafe the wax yet Faith imprints the seale for the Resurrection is not a conclusion out of naturall Reason but it is an article of supernaturall Faith and though you assent to me now speaking of the Resurrection yet that is not out of my Logick nor out of my Rhetorique but out of that Character and Ordinance which God hath imprinted in me in the power and efficacy whereof I speak unto you as often as I speak out of this place As I say we determine our first part in this How the assurance of this Resurrection accrues to us so when we descend to our second part That is the consolation which we receive whilest we are In via here upon our way in this world out of the contemplation of that Resurrection to glory which we shall have In patria at home in heaven and how these two Resurrections are arguments and evidences of one another we shall look upon some correspondencies and resemblances between naturall death and spirituall death by sin and between the glorious Resurrection of the body and the gracious Resurrection of the soule that so having brought bodily death and bodily Resurrection and spirituall death and spirituall Resurrection by their comparison into your consideration you may anon depart somewhat the better edified in both and so enjoy your present Resurrection of the soule by Grace with more certainty and expect the future Resurrection of the body to glory with the more alacrity and chearfulnesse Though therefore we may hereafter take just occasion of entring into a war 1. Part. in vindicating and redeeming these words seased and seduced by our adversaries to testifie for their Purgatory yet this day being a day of peace and reconciliation with God and man we begin with peace with that wherein all agree That these words Else what shall they do that are baptized for dead If the dead rise not at all why are they baptized for dead must necessarily receive such an Exposition as must be an argument for the Resurrection This baptisme pro mortuis for dead must be such a baptisme as must prove that the Resurrection For that the Apostle repeats twice in these few words Else sayes he that is if there be no Resurrection why are men thus baptized And again if the dead rise not why are men thus baptized Indeed the whole Chapter is a continuall argument for the Resurrection from the beginning thereof to the 35. ver he handles the An sit whether there be a Resurrection or no For if that be denyed or doubted in the roote in the person of Christ whether he be risen or no the whole frame of our religion fals and every man will be apt and justly apt to ask that question which the Indian King asked when he had been catechized so far in the articles of our Christian religion as to come to the suffered and crucified and dead and buried impatient of proceeding any farther and so losing the consolation of the Resurrection he asked only Is your God dead and buried then let me return to the worship of the Sun for I am sure the Sun will not die If Christ be dead and buried that is continue in the state of death and of the grave without a Resurrection where shall a Christian look for life Therefore the Apostle handles and establishes that first that assurance A Resurrection there is From thence he raises and pursues a second question De modo But some man will say sayes he How are the dead raised up and with what body come they forth And in these questions De modo there is more exercise of reason and of discourse for many times The matter is matter of faith when the manner is not so but considerable and triable by reason Many times for the matter we are all bound and bound upon salvation to think alike But for the manner we may think diversly without forfeiture of salvation or impeachment of discretion For he is not presently an indiscreet man that differs in opinion from another man that is discreet in things that fall under opinion Absit superstito Geâ—son hoc est superflua religio sayes a moderate man of the Romane Church This is truly superstition to bring more under the necessity of being beleeved then God hath brought in his Scriptures superfluous religion sayes he is superstition Remove that and then as he addes there Contradictoria quorum utrumque probabile credi possunt Where two contrary opinions are both probable they may be embraced and beleeved by two men and those two be both learned and discreet and pious and zealous men And this consideration should keep men from that precipitation of imprinting the odious and scandalous names of Sects or Sectaries upon other men who may differ from them and from others with them in some opinions Probability leads me in my assent and I think thus Let me allow another man his probability too and let him think his way in things that are not fundamentall They that do not beleeve alike in all circumstances of the manner of the Resurrection may all by Gods goodnesse meet there and have their parts in the glory thereof if their own uncharitablenesse do not hinder them And he that may have been in the right opinion may sooner misse heaven then he that was in the wrong if he come uncharitably to condemne or contemne the other for in such cases humility and love of peace may in the sight of God excuse and recompence many errours and mistakings And after these of the Matter of the Manner of the Resurrection the Apostle proceeds to a third question of their state and condition whom Christ shall finde alive upon Earth at his second comming and of them he sayes onely this Ecce mysterium vobis dico Behold I tell you a mystery a secret we shall not all sleep that is not dye so as that we shall rest any time in the grave but we shall all be changed that is receive such an immutation as that we shall have a sudden dissolution of body and soul which is a true death and a sudden re-union of body and soule which is a true resurrection in an instant in the twinkling of an eye Thus carefull and thus particular is the Apostle that the knowledge of the resurrection might be derived unto us Now of these three questions which he raises and pursues first whether there be a Resurrection then what manner of Resurrection and then what kinde of Resu rrection they shall have that live to the day of Judgement our Text enters into the first For for the first That a resurrection there is the Apostle opens severall Topiques to prove it One is from our Head and Patterne and Example Christ Jesus For so he argues first If the dead be not raised
our virility our holy manhood our true and religious strength consists in the assurance that though death have divided us and though we never receive our dead raised to life again in this world yet we do live together already in a holy Communion of Saints and shal live together for ever hereafter in a glorious Resurrection of bodies Little know we how little a way a soule hath to goe to heaven when it departs from the body Whether it must passe locally through Moone and Sun and Firmament and if all that must be done all that may be done in lesse time then I have proposed the doubt in or whether that soule finde new light in the same roome and be not carried into any other but that the glory of heaven be diffused over all I know not I dispute not I inquire not Without disputing or inquiring I know that when Christ sayes That God is not the God of the dead he saies that to assure me that those whom I call dead are alive And when the Apostle tels me That God is not ashamed to be called the God of the dead Heb. 11.16 he tels me that to assure me That Gods servants lose nothing by dying He was but a Heathen that said Menander Thraces If God love a man Iuvenis tollitur He takes him young out of this world And they were but Heathens that observed that custome To put on mourning when their sons were born and to feast and triumph when they dyed But thus much we may learne from these Heathens That if the dead and we be not upon one floore nor under one story yet we are under one roofe We think not a friend lost because he is gone into another roome nor because he is gone into another Land And into another world no man is gone for that Heaven which God created and this world is all one world If I had fixt a Son in Court or married a daughter into a plentifull Fortune I were satisfied for that son and that daughter Shall I not be so when the King of Heaven hath taken that son to himselfe and maried himselfe to that daughter for ever I spend none of my Faith I exercise none of my Hope in this that I shall have my dead raised to life againe This is the faith that sustaines me when I lose by the death of others or when I suffer by living in misery my selfe That the dead and we are now all in one Church and at the resurrection shall be all in one Quire But that is the resurrection which belongs to our other part That resurrection which wee have handled though it were a resurrection from death yet it was to death too for those that were raised again died again But the Resurrection which we are to speak of is forever They that rise then shall see death no more for it is sayes our Text A better Resurrection That which we did in the other part 2 Part. in the last branch thereof in this part we shall doe in the first First we shall consider the examples from which the Apostle deduceth this encouragement and faithfull constancy upon those Hebrewes to whom he directs this Epistle Though as he sayes in the beginning of the next Chapter he were compassed about with a Cloud of witnesses and so might have proposed examples from the Authenticke Scriptures and the Histories of the Bible yet we accept that direction which our Translators have given us in the Marginall Concordance of their Translation That the Apostle in this Text intends and so referres to that Story which is 2 Maccab. 7.7 To that Story also doth Aquinas referre this place But Aquinas may have had a minde to doe that service to the Romane Church to make the Apostle cite an Apocryphall Story though the Apostle meant it not It may be so in Aquinas He might have such a minde such a meaning But surely Beza had no such meaning Calvin had no such minde and yet both Calvin and Beza referre this Text to that Story Though it be said sayes Calvin that Ieremy was stoned to death and Esay sawed to death Non dubito quin illas persecutiones designet quae sub Antiocho I doubt not sayes he but that the Apostle intends those persecutions which the Maccabees suffered under Antiochus So then there may be good use made of an Apocryphall Booke It alwayes was and alwayes will be impossible for our adversaries of the Romane Church to establish that which they have so long endeavoured that is to make the Apocryphall Bookes equall to the Canonicall It is true that before there was any occasion of jealousie or suspition that there would be new Articles of faith coyned and those new Articles authorized and countenanced out of the Apocryphall Books the blessed Fathers in the Primitive Church afforded honourable names and made faire and noble mention of those Books So they have called them Sacred and more then that Divine and more then that too Canonicall Books and more then all that by the generall name of Scripture and Holy Writ But the Holy Ghost who fore-saw the danger though those blessed Fathers themselves did not hath shed and dropt even in their writings many evidences to prove in what sense they called those Books by those names and in what distance they alwayes held them from those Bookes which are purely and positively and to all purposes and in all senses Sacred and Divine and Canonicall and simply Scripture and simply Holy Writ Of this there is no doubt in the Fathers before S. Augustine For all they proposed these Bookes as Canones morum non sidei Canonicall that is Regular for applying our manners and conversation to the Articles of Faith but not Canonicall for the establishing those Articles Canonicall for edification but not for foundation And even in the later Roman Church we have a good Author that gives us a good rule Cajeâ—an Ne turberis Novitie Let no young Student be troubled when he heares these Bookes by some of the Fathers called Canonicall for they are so saies he in their sense Regulares ad aedificationem Good Canons good Rules for matter of manners and conversation And this distinction saies that Author will serve to rectifie not onely what the Fathers afore S. Augustine for they speake cleerely enough but what S. Augustine himselfe and some Councels have said of this matter But yet this difference gives no occasion to an elimination to an extermination of these Books which we call Apocryphall And therefore when in a late forraine Synod that Nation where that Synod was gathered would needs dispute whether the Apocryphall Bookes should not be utterly left out of the Bible And not effecting that yet determined that those Bookes should be removed from their old place where they had ever stood that is after the Bookes of the Old Testament Exteri se excusari petierunt Sessio 10. say the Acts of that Synod Those that
came to that Synod from other places desire to be excused from assenting to the displacing of those Apocryphall Books For in that place as we see by Athanasius they prescribe For though they be not Canonicall saies he yet they are Ejusdem veteris Instrumenti libri Books that belong to the Old Testament that is at least to the elucidation and cleering of many places in the Old Testament And that the Ancient Fathers thought these Books worthy of their particular consideration must necessarily be more then evident to him that reads S. Chrysostomes Homilie or Leo his Sermon upon this very part of that Book of the Maccab to which the Apostle refers in this Text that is to that which the seven Brethren there suffered for a better Resurrection And if we take in the testimony of the Reformation divers great and learned men have interpreted these Books by their particular Commentaries Osyander hath done so and done it with a protestation that divers great Divines intreated him to do it Conrad Pellicanus hath done so too Who lest these Books should seeme to be undervalued in the name of Apocryphall saies that it is fitter to call them Libros Ecclesiasticos rather Ecclesiasticall then Apocryphall Books And of the first of these two books of the Maccab he saies freely Reverà Divini Spiritus instigatione No doubt but the holy Ghost moved some holy man to write this Book because saies he by it many places of they Prophets are the better understood and without that Booke which is a great addition of dignitie Ecclesiastica eruditio perfecta non fuisset The Church had not been so well enabled to give perfect instruction in the Ecclesiasticall Story Therefore he cals it Piissimum Catholicae Ecclesiae institutum A most holy Institution of the Catholike Church that those Books were read in the Church And if that Custome had been every where continued Non tot errores increvissent So many errors had not growne in the Reformed Church saies that Author And to descend to practise at this day we see that in many Churches of the Reformation their Preachers never forbeare to preach upon Texts taken out of the Apocryphall Books We discerne cleerely and as earnestly we detest the mischievous purposes of our Adversaries in magnifying these Apocryphall Books It is not principally that they would have these Books as good as Scriptures but because they would have Scriptures no better then these Books That so when it should appeare that these Books were weake books and the Scriptures no better then they their owne Traditions might be as good as either But as their impiety is inexcusable that thus over-value them so is their singularity too that depresse these books too farre of which the Apostle himselfe makes this use not to establish Articles of Faith but to establish the Hebrews in the Articles of Faith by examples deduced from this Booke The example then to which the Apostle leads them is that Story of a Mother and her seven Sons which in one day suffered death by exquisite torments rather then break that Law of their God which the King prest them to break though but a Ceremoniall Law Now as Leo saies in his Sermon upon their day for the Christian Church kept a day in memory of the Martyredome of these seven Maccabees though they were but Jewes Gravant audita nisi suscipiantur imitanda It is a paine to heare the good that others have done except we have some desire to imitate them in doing the like The Panegyricke said well Onerosum est succederebono Principi That King that comes after a good Predecessour hath a shrewd burthen upon him because all the World can compare him with the last King and all the world will looke that he should be as good a King as his immediate Predecessour whom they all remember was So Gravant audita It will trouble you to heare what these Maccabees which S. Paul speaks of suffered for the Law of their God but you are weary of it and would be glad we would give over talking of them except you have a desire to imitate them And if you have that you are glad to heare more and more of them and from this Apostle here you may For he makes two uses of their example First that though they were tortured they would not accept a deliverance And then that they put on that resolution That they might obtaine a better Resurrection What they suffered hath exercised all our Grammarians and all our Philologers and all our Antiquaries that have enquired into the Racks and Tortures of those times We translate it roundly They were tortured And S. Pauls word implies a torture of that kind that their bodies were extended and rackt as upon a drumme and then beaten with staves What the torture intended in that word was we know not But in the Story it selfe to which he refers in the Maccab you have all these divers tortures Cutting out of tongues and cutting off of hands and feete and macerating in hot Cauldrons and pulling off the skin of their heads with their haire And yet they would not accept a deliverance Ver. 24. Was it offered them Expresly it was The King promises and sweares to one of them that he would make him Rich and Happie and his Friend and trust him with his affaires if he would apply himselfe to his desires and yet he would not accept this deliverance This is that which S. August saies Sunt qui patienter moriuntur There may be many found that dye without any distemper without any impatience that suffer patiently enough But then Sunt qui patienter vivunt delectabiliter moriuntur There are others whose life exercises all their patience so that it is a paine to them though they indure it patiently to live But they could dye not only patiently but cheerefully They are not onely content if they must but glad if they may dye when they may dye so as that thereby They may obtaine a better Resurrection And this was the case of these Martyrs whom the Apostle here proposes to the imitation of the Hebrews They put all upon that issue A better Resurrection So the second Brother saies to the King Ver. 9. Thou like a Fury takest us out of this life but the King of the World shall raise us up who have dyed for his Law unto everlasting life Here lay his hope That that which dyed that which could dye his body should be raised againe So the third Brother proceeded Ver. 11. He held out his hands and said These I had from Heaven and for his Laws I despise them and from him I hope to receive them again There was his hope a restitution of the same hands in the Resurrection And so the fourth Brother Ver. 14. It is good being put to death by men to looke for hope from God Hope of what To be raised up againe by him There was his hope And he
opinions yet even from their various opinions there arise good instructions we shall rather Problematically inquire then Dogmatically establish first whether these words were spoken of Angels or no whether this word Angell in this text be not as it is in many other places of Scriptures and in the nature of the Word it selfe communicable to other servants and other messengers then those whom ordinarily we intend when we say Angels and then secondly if the words be spoken of Angels then whether of Good or Bad Angels of those which stand now or those which fell at first and againe if of those that stand then what degree of perfection they have and what that which we use to call their Confirmation is how it accrues to them and how it works in them if even of them it be said Behold he put no trust in his Servants and his Angels he charged with folly In our second part what was inferd upon these premisses what was concluded out of these propositions what reflected upon us by this assimilation of ours to the Angels because it is a matter of much weight we shall first in our entrance into that part consider the weight of the testimony in the Person that gives it for it is not Iob himselfe that speaks these words It is but one of his friends but Elephaz but the Temanite a Gentile a stranger from the Covenant and the Church of God and yet his words are part of the Word of God And then for the matter that is inferd from our assimilation to the state of Angels will be fairely collected that if those Angels stand but by the support of Grace not by any thing inseparably inhering in their nature when we are at our best in heaven we shall do but so neither much lesse whilst we are upon earth have we in us any impossibility of falling by any thing already done for us Our standing is meerely from the grace of God and therefore let no man ascribe any thing to himselfe and Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall for God hath done no more for the best of us here nor hereafter then for those Angels and of them we heare here He put no trust in his Servants and his Angels he charged with folly First then 1 Part. An Angeli for our first Disquisition in our first part De quibus the persons of whom these words are spoken Amongst all our Expositors of this book of Iob which are very many and amongst all Authors Ancient and Moderne which have had occasion in their Sermons and Tractates to reflect upon this text which are many more infinite I have never observed more then one that denies these words to be spoken of Angels or that there is any mention any intention any intimation of Angels in these words And which is the greater wonder this one single man who thus departs from all and prefers himselfe above all is no Jesuit neither It is but a Capuccin but Bolduc upon this Book of Iob and yet he adventures to say That that Person of whom it is said in this text He put no trust in his Servants and He charged his Angels with folly is not God and that they of whom it is said He trusted not his Servants and his Angels he charged with folly are not Angels But that all that Eliphaz intended in all this passage of Iob was no more but this That no great Person must trust in any kind of Greatnesse particularly not in great retinues and dependances of many servants and powerfull instruments for that was Iobs owne case and yet he lost them all The doctrine truly is good neither should I sodainly condemne his singularity if it were well grounded For though in the exposition of Scriptures singularity alwaies carry a suspition with it singularity is Indicium as we say in the Law some kind of evidence It is Semi-probatio a kind of halfe-proofe against that man that holds an opinion or induces an interpretation different from all other men yet as these which we call Indicia in the Law worke but so as that they may bring a man to his oath or in some cases to the rack and to torture but are not alone sufficient to condemne him So if we finde this singularity in any man we take from thence just occasion to question and sift him and his Doctrine the more narrowly but not only upon that presently to condemne him For this was S. Augustines case S. Augustine induced new Doctrines in divers very important points different from all that had written before him but upon due examination for all his singularity the Church hath found reason to adhere to him in those points ever since his reasons prevailed In our single Capuccins case here in our text it is not so And therefore here we must continue that complaint which we are often put to make of the iniquity of the Roman Church to us If the Fathers seeme to agree in any point wherein we differ from them they cry out we depart from the Fathers If we adhere to the Fathers in any point in which they differ from them then they cry out we forsake the Church Still they presse us with their Trent-Canon You must interpret Scriptures according to the unanime consent of the Fathers and yet they suffer a single Capuccin of their owne to depart from the Fathers and Sons from the Ancient and Moderne Expositors in their owne Church And I may adde from the Holy Ghost too from the evident purpose and meaning of the place in more places then any Author whom I have seene and in this more then in any other place when he saies with such assurance that in these words He put no trust in his Servants and his Angels he charged with folly there is no mennon no intention of God or Angels but it is onely spoken of men of the infidelity of servants and of the insecurity of Masters relying upon such dependancies We take this then Ande Angelis Boâ—â— as All do All for this single Capuccin makes no considerable exception more then a mole-hill to the roundnesse of the earth to be spoken of Angels which was our first probleme and disquisition And our second is being spoken of Angels of what Angels they are spoken Good or Bad of those that fell or those that stood Here we meet with the same rub as before singularity For amongst all our Expositors upon this book I have not observed any other then Calvin to interpret this place of the good Angels of those that stand confirmed in grace Not that Calvin is to be left alone in that opinion as though he were the onely man that thought that the good Angels considered in themselves might be defective in the offices committed unto them by God for it is evident that Origen in divers of his Homilies upon the book of Numbers in his twentieth and twentie two and foure and twentie sixt and in his
thirteenth Homily upon S. Luke And as evident that S. Hierom himselfe upon the first verse of the sixt Chapter of Micheas thought and taught That those good Angels whom God appoints for the tuition of certaine men and certaine places in this world shall give an account at the day of Judgement of the execution of their office whether the men committed to them have not fallen sometimes by their fault and their dereliction for so does he and not he only understand that place That we shall judge the Angels 1 Cor. 6.3 As also those words in the beginning of the Revelation which S. Iohn is commanded by Christ to write to the Angels of certaine Churches that Father S. Hierom interprets not only of figurative and Metaphoricall Angels the Bishops of those Churches but literally of the Angels of Heaven So then Calvin is from any singularity in that That the good Angels considered in themselves may be defective but because he may be singular in interpreting this Text of good Angels as for ought I have observed he is this singularity of his may be a just reason of suspending our assent but not a just reason presently to condemne his exposition The Church must beas just to him as it was to S. Augustine that is to examine his grounds And truly his ground is faire his ground is firme It is this that though this seeme to derogato from the honour of Angels that being confirmed they should be subject to weaknesse yet saies he we must not pervert nor force any place of Scripture for the honour of the Angels For indeed the perverting and forcing of Scriptures for the over-honouring of Saints hath induced a chain of Heresies in the Romane Church And that this is a forcing of Scripture to understand this Text of fallen Angels Calvin argues rationally That those Angels which are spoken of here are called the servants of God And devils are but his slaves not his servants They execute his will but against their will Good Angels are the servants of God Nor shall we easily finde that Title The servant of God applyed to ill persons in the Scriptures Therefore as he notes usefully God doth not charge Angels in this Text with rebellion or obstination or any haynous crime but only with folly weaknesse infirmity from which in all degrees none but God himself can be free Though therefore there be no such necessity of accepting this exposition as should produce that confident asseveration which he comes to Dubium non est It can admit no doubt but this place must be thus understood for by his favour it may admit a doubt yet neither is there any such newnesse in it because it is grounded upon Truth and all Truth is ancient but that it may very well be received And therefore as the sense that is most fit to advance his purpose that speakes it which is one principall thing to be considered in every place as the sense that most conduces to Eliphaz his end and to prove that which he intends to Iob without laying obligation upon any to think so or imputation upon any that doth not think so we accept this interpretation of these words that they are spoken of Angels which was our first and of good Angels which was our second disquifition and now proceed to our third what their confirmation is and how it works if for all that God put no trust in those servants but charged those Angels with folly That Moses did speak nothing of the fall or of the confirmation of Angels Confirmatiâ— may justly seem a convenient reason to think that he meant to speak nothing of the creation of Angels neither If Moses had intended to have told us of the creation of Angels he would have told us of their fall and confirmation too as having told us so particularly of the making of man he tells us as particularly of the fall of man and the restitution of man by the promise of a Messiah in Paradise And therefore that the Angels are wrapped up in that word of Moses The Heavens and that they were made when the heavens were made or that they are wrapped up in that word of Moses The Light and that they were made when Light was made is all but conjecturall cloudy Neither doth any article of that Creed which we call the Apostles direct us upon any consideration of Angels That they were created long before this world all the Greek Fathers of the Eastern Church did constandy think And in the Westerne Church amongst the Latine Fathers S. Ierome himself was so cleare in it as to say Sex millia nostri orbis nondum implentur anni Our world is not yet six thousand yeares old Et quantas aternitates quantas saeculorum origines sayes that Father what infinite revolutions of ages what infinite eternities did the Powers and Principalities and Thrones and Angels of God serve God in before Theodoret that thinkes not so thinks it not against any article of Faith to think that it was so Aquinas that thinkes not so will not call it an errour to think so out of a reverence to Athanasius and Nazianzen who did think so for that is an indelible character which S. Ierome hath imprinted printed upon those two Fathers That no man ever durst impute errour to Athanasius or Nazianzen Therefore S. Augustine sayes moderately and with that discreet and charitable temper which becomes every man in matters that are not fundamentall Vt volet unusquisq accipiat I forbid no man sayes he either opinion That the Angels were made before the world or with it Dum non Deo coaeternos de vera foelicitate securos non ambigat Only this I forbid him that he do not beleeve the Angels to be coeternall with God For if they were never made but subsist of themselves then they are God If they be not creatures they are Creators And then this I forbid him too sayes he That he do not think the Angels now in any danger of falling So that S. Augustine makes this matter of faith That the Angels cannot fall Nor hath S. Augustine any adversary in that point we only inquire how they acquired this Infallibility and assurance in their station For if they were made so long before this world and fell when this world was made since they that had stood so long fell then why may not they that stand yet fall now They are supported and established by a confirmation sayes the Schoole And that is our present and ordinary answer and it is enough But how or when was this confirmation sealed upon them or how doth it work in them if God doe not yet trust these servants but charge these Angels with folly That the Angels were created Viatores Viatores and not Beati in a possibility of everlasting blessednesse but not in actuall possession of it admits no doubt because some of them did actually fall Of whom S. Augustine sayes
judgements did God shew Adam Iudicia pessimorum spirituum sayes he the better to containe Adam in his duty God declared to him the judgement that he had executed upon those disobedient Angels So that as Adam if he had made a right use of Gods grace had been immortall in his body and yet not immortall then by nature as our bodies in the state of glory in the resurrection shall be immortall and yet not immortall then by nature so no Angell after this Confirmation that is the mediation of Christ applied to him shall fall For Quis Catholicus ignorat Aug. nullum novum Diabolum ex bonis Angelis futurum Who can pretend to be a Catholique and beleeve that ever there shall be any new Devill from amongst the good Angels And yet by the way many of the Ancient Fathers thought that those words That the sons of God saw the daughters of men to be faire and fell in love with them were meant of good Angels who fell in love with those women that were committed to their charge and that they sinned in so doing and that they never returned to heaven but fell to the first fallen Angels So that those Fathers have more then implied a possibility of falling into sin and punishment for sin in the good Angels But this none sayes now nor with any probability ever did It is enough that they stand confirmed confirmed by the grace of God in Christ Jesus so that now being in possession of the sight of God and the light of Gâ—ry their understanding is perfectly illustrated so that they can apprehend nothing erroneously and therefore their will is perfectly rectified so that they can desire nothing irregularly and therefore they cannot sin and therefore they cannot die for all sin is from the perversenesse of the will and all disorder in the will from errour in the understanding In heaven they are and we by our assimilation to them shall be free from both and impeccable and impassible by the continuall grace of God Though if they or we were left to our selves even there God could put no trust in his servants nor leave his Angels uncharged with folly And so we have done with the pieces which constitute our first part De quibus of whom these words are spoken First that they were spoken of Angels rejecting that single Capuccin who only denies it and then of good Angels accepting Calvins interpretation because though he be singular in applying this Text to that Doctrine yet in the Doctrine it self he hath authority enough and faire reasons for the Text it selfe and lastly how that which we call Confirmation in those Angels accrewes to them and how it works in them And so we passe to our second Part what is inferred upon these premisses what concluded upon these propositions what by our assimilation to Angels reflects upon us And here 2. Part. Testis Eliphaz because the matter is of much consideration we proposed first to be considered the waight and validity of the testimony in the person of him that gives it for many times the credit of the restimony depends much upon the credit of the witnesse And here it is not Iob himself it is but Eliphaz Eliphaz the Temanite an Alien a stranger to the Covenant and Church of God But surely no greater a stranger then those secular Poets whose sentences S. Paul cites not only in his Epistles but in his Sermons too Certainly not so great a stranger as the Devill and yet in how many places of Scripture are words spoken by the Devill himself inserted into the Scriptures and thereby so farre made the word of God as that the word of God the Bible were not perfect norintire to us if we had not those words of those Poets those words of the Devill himself in it How can I doubt but that God can draw good out of ill and make even some sin of mine some occasion of my salvation when the God of truth can make the word of the father of lies his word There is but one place in all this Book of Iob cited in the New Testament Job 5.13 that is He taketh the wise in their owne craft and those words are not spoken by Iob himself but by this very friend of Iob this Eliphaz that speaks in our Text 1 Cor. 3.19 and yet they are cited in the phrase and manner in which holy Scripture is ordinarily cited It is written sayes the Apostle there and so the Holy Ghost that spoke in S. Paul hath canonized the words spoken by Eliphaz But besides the credit which these words have Visio à posteriori that they are after inserted into the word of God which is another manner of credit and authentiquenesse then that which the Canonists speak of that when any sentence of a Father is cited and inserted into a Decretall Epistle of a Pope or any part of the Canon Law that sentence is thereby made authenticall and canonicall these words have their credit à priori for before be spake them to Iob he received them in a vision from God I had a vision in the night Ver. 12. sayes he and feare and trembling came upon me and a spirit stood before me and I heard this voyce Neither is there any necessity no nor reason to charge Eliphaz with a false relation or counterfaiting a revelation from God which he had not had as some Expositors have done For howsoever in some argumentations and applyings of things to Iobs particular case we may finde some errors in Eliphaz in modo probandi in the manner of his proceeding yet we shall not finde him to proceed upon false grounds and therefore we beleeve Eliphaz to have received this that he sayes from God in a vision and for the instruction of a man more in Gods favour then himself of Iob. Balaam had the reputation of a great Wizard and yet God made his Asse wiser then he and able to instruct and catechize him Generally we are to receive our instructions from Gods established Ordinances from his ordinary meanes afforded to us in his Church And where those meanes sufficient in themselves are duly exhibited to us we are not to hearken after revelations nor to beleeve every thing that may have some such apparance to be a revelation But yet we are not so to conclude God in his Law as that he should have no Prerogative nor so to binde him up in his Ordinances as that he never can or never does work by an extraordinary way of revelation Neither must the profusion of miracles the prodigality and prostitution of miracles in the Romane Church where miracles for every naturall disease may be had at some Shrine or miracle-shop better cheap then a Medicine a Drugge a Simple at an Apothecaries bring us to deny or distrust all miracles done by God upon extraordinary causes and to important purposes Eliphaz was a prophane person and yet received a Vision from
be well Christ said in his behalfe Verily I have not found so great faith no not in Israel When Christ makes so much of this single grain of Mustard-seed this little faith as to prefer it before all the faith of Israel surely faith went very low in Israel at that time Nay when Christ himself sayes speaking of his last comming after so many ages preaching of the Gospell When the Son of man comes shall he finde faith upon earth Luk. 18.8 any faith We have I say a blessed beam of comfort shining out of this text that it is no small number that is reserved for that Kingdome For whether the Apostle speak this of himself and the Thessalonians or of others he speaks not as of a few but that by Christs having preached the narrownesse of the way and the straitnesse of the gate our holy industry and endeavour is so much exalted which was Christs principall end in taking those Metaphors of narrow wayes and strait gates not to make any man suspect an impossibility of entring but to be the more industrious and endeavorous in seeking it that as he hath sent workmen in plenty abundant preaching so he shall return a plentifull harvest a glorious addition to his Kingdome both of those which slept in him before and of those which shall be then alive fit all together to be caught up in the clouds to meet him and be with him for ever for these two armies imply no small number Now of the condition of these men who shall be then alive and how being clothed in bodies of corruption they become capable of the glory of this text in our first distribution we proposed that for a particular consideration and the other branch of this second part and to that in that order we are come now I scarce know a place of Scripture more diversly read Immutabimur and consequently more variously interpreted then that place which should most enlighten us in this consideration presently under our hands which is that place to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 15.51 Non omnes dormiemus We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed The Apostle professes there to deliver us a mystery Behold I shew you a mystery but Translators and Expositors have multiplyed mysticall clouds upon the words S. Chrysostome reads these words as we do Chrysost Non dormiemus We shall not all sleep but thereupon he argues and concludes that wee shall not all die The common reading of the ancients is contrary to that Omnes dormiemus sed non c. We shall all sleep but we shall not all be changed The vulgat Edition in the Romane Church differs from both and as much from the originall as from either Omnes resurgemus We shall all rise again but we shall not all be changed S. Hierome examines the two readings and then leaves the reader to his choice as a thing indifferent S. Augustine doth so too and concludes aquè Catholicos esse That they are as good Catholiques that reade it the one way as the other But howsoever that which S. Chrysostome collects upon his reading may not be maintained He reads as we do and without all doubt aright We shall not all sleep But what then Therefore shall we not all die To sleep there is to rest in the grave to continue in the state of the dead and so we shall not all sleep not continue in the state of the dead But yet Statutum est sayes the Apostle Heb. 9.27 as verily as Christ was once offered to beare our sinnes so verily is it appointed to every man once to die Rom. 5.12 And as verily as by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne so verily death passed upon all men for that all men have sinned So the Apostle institutes the comparison so he constitutes the doctrine in those two places of Scripture As verily as Christ dyed for all all shall die As verily as every man sins every man shall die In that change then which we who are then alive shall receive for though we shall not all sleep we shall all be changed we shall have a present dissolution of body and soul and that is truly a death and a present redintegration of the same body and the same soul and that is truly a Resurrection we shall die and be alive again before another could consider that we were dead but yet this shall not be done in an absolute instant some succession of time though undiscernible there is It shall be done In raptu in a rapture but even in a rapture there is a motion a transition from one to another place It shall be done sayes he In ictuoculi In the twinkling of an eye But even in the twinkling of an eie there is a shutting of the eie-lids and an opening of them again Neither of these is done in an absolute instant but requires some succession of time The Apostle in the Resurrection in our text constitutes a Prius something to be done first and something after first those that were dead in Christ shall rise first and then Then when that is done after that not all at once we that are alive shall be wrought upon we shall be changed our change comes after their rising so in our change there is a Prius too first we shall be dissolved so we die and then we shall be re-compact so we rise again This is the difference they that sleep in the grave put off and depart with the very substance of the body it is no longer flesh but dust they that are changed at the last day put off and depart with only the qualities of the body as mortality and corruption It is still the same body without resolving into dust but the first step that it makes is into glory Now transfer this to the spirituall Resurrection of thy soul by grace here Here Grace works not that Resurrection upon thy soul in an absolute instant And therefore suspect not Gods gracious purpose upon thee if thou beest not presently throughly recovered God could have made all the world in one day and so have come sooner to his Sabbath his rest but he wrought more to give us an example of labour and of patience in attending his leasure in our second Creation this Resurrection from sin as we did in our first Creation when we were not made till the sixt day But remember too that the last Resurrection from death is to be transacted quickly speedily And in thy first thy spirituall Resurrection from sin make haste The last is to be done In raptu in a rapture Let this rapture in the first Resurrection be to teare thy self from that company and conversation that leads thee into tentation The last is to be done Inictu oculi In the twinkling of an eye Let that in thy first Resurrection be The shutting of thine eyes from looking upon things in things upon creatures in creatures
should all fall into hell and so there is mercy in hell And therefore saies the same Father Out of an unspeakeable wisdome and Fatherly care as Fathers will speak loudest to their Children and looke angerliest and make the greatest rods when they intend not the severest correction Christus saepius gehennam comminatus est quam regnum pollicitus Christ in his Gospell hath oftner threatned us with hell then promised us Heaven We are bound to praise God saies he as much for driving Adam out of Paradise as for placing him there Et agere gratias tam progehenna quam pro regno And to give him thanks as well for hell as for Heaven For whether he cauterise or foment whether he draw blood or apply Cordials he is the same Physitian and seekes but one end our spirituall health by his divers wayes For us who by this notification of hell escape hell Psal 118.17 We shall not dye but live that is not dye so but that we shall live againe Therefore is death called a sleepe Lazarus sleepeth saies Christ And Coemiteria are Dormitoria Iohn 11.11 Churchyards are our beds And in those beds and in all other beds of death for the dead have their beds in the Sea too and sleepe even in the restlesse motion thereof the voyce of the Archangel and the Trumpet of God shall awake them that slept in Christ before and they and we shall be united in one body for as our Apostle sayes here Heb. 11.39 We shall not prevent them so he sayes also That they shall not be made perfect without us Though we live to see Christ we shall not prevent them though they have attended Christ five thousand yeares in the grave they shall not prevent us but united in one body Rapiemur They and we shall be caught c. Rapiemur We shall be caught up This is a true Rapture Rapiemur in which we doe nothing our selves Our last act towards Christ is as our first In the first act of our Conversion we do nothing nothing in this last act our Resurrection but Rapimur we are caught In everything the more there is left to our selves the worse it is done that that God does intirely is intirely good S. Paul had a Rapture too He was caught up into Paradise 2 Cor. 12.4 but whether in the body or out of the body he cannot tell We can tell that this Rapture of ours shall be in body and soule in the whole man Man is but a vapour but a glorious and a blessed vapour when he is attracted and caught up by this Sun the Son of Man the Son of God O what a blessed alleviation possesses that man and to what a blessed levity if without levity we may so speake to what a cheerefull lightnesse of spirit is he come that comes newly from Confession and with the seale of Absolution upon him Then when nothing troubles his conscience then when he hath disburdened his soule of all that lay heavy upon it then when if his Confessor should unjustly reveale it to any other yet God will never speake of it more to his conscience not upbraid him with it not reproach him for it what a blessed alleviation what a holy cheerefulnesse of spirit is that man come to How much more in the endowments which we shall receive in the Rapture of this text where we do not onely devest all sins past as in Confession but all possibility of future sins and put on not onely incorruption but incorruptiblenesse not onely impeccancy but impeccability And to be invested with this endowment Rapiemur Wee shall be caught up and Rapiemur in Nubibus Wee shall be caught up in the Clouds We take a Sar to be the thickest In Nubibus and so the impurest and ignoblest part of that sphear and yet by the illustration of the Sun it becomes a glorious star Clouds are but the beds and wombs of distempered and malignant impressions of vapours and exhalations and the furnaces of Lightnings and of Thunder yet by the presence of Christ and his employment these clouds are made glorious Chariots to bring him and his Saints together Psal 135.7 Those Vapours and Clouds which David speaks of S. Augustin interprets of the Ministers of the Church that they are those Clouds Those Ministers may have clouds in their understanding and knowledge some may be lesse learned then others and clouds in their elocution utterance some may have an unacceptable deliverance and clouds in their aspect and countenance some may have an unpleasing presence and clouds in their respect and maintenance some may be oppressed in their fortunes but still they are such clouds as are sent by Christ to bring thee up to him And as the Children of Israel received direction and benefit Exod. 13.21 as well by the Pillar of Cloud as by the Pillar of Fire so do the Children of God in the Church as well by Preachers of inferiour gifts as by higher In Nubibus Christ does not come in a Chariot and send Carts for us Acts 1.11 He comes as he went This same Iesus which is taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seene him goe into Heaven say the Angels at his Ascension Luk. 24.50 In what manner did they see him go He was taken up and a Cloud received him out of their sight So he went so he shall returne so we shall be taken up In the Clouds to meete him in the Ayre The Transfiguration of Christ was not acted upon so high a Scene In aëra as this our accesse to Christ shall be That hill was not so high nor so neare to the Heaven of Heavens as this region of the ayre shall be Nor was the Transfiguration so eminent a manifestation of the glory of Christ as this his comming in the ayre to Judgement shall be And yet Peter that saw but that Mat. 17.14 desired no more but thought it happinesse enough to be there and there to fixe their Tabernacles But in this our meeting of Christ in the ayre we shall see more then they saw in the Transfiguration and yet be but in the way of seeing more then we see in the ayre then we shall be presently well and yet improving The Kings presence makes a Village the Court but he that hath service to do at Court would be glad to finde it in a lodgeable and convenient place I can build a Church in my bosome I can serve God in my heart and never cloath my prayer in words God is often said to heare and answer in the Scriptures when they to whom he speaks have said nothing I can build a Church at my beds side when I prostrate my selfe in humble prayer there I do so I can praise God cheerefully in my Chappell cheerefully in my parish Church as David saies Psal 26.12 In Ecclesiis plurally In the Congregations In every
he gave them the holy Ghost in stead of Scriptures But to us who are weaker hee hath given both The holy Ghost in the Scriptures and if we neglect either we have neither If we trust to a private spirit and call that the holy Ghost without Scripture or to the Scriptures without the holy Ghost that is without him there where he hath promised to be in his Ordinance in his Church we have not the seale of that Promise the holy Ghost Finde then that promise in your holy love and sober studie of the Scriptures and finde the performance the fruits thereof in your conversation and then you have an Autumne better then any worldly Spring A vintage a gathering of those blessed fruits Gal. 5.22 The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meckenesse temperance where by the way these are not called severally the fruits of the Spirit as though they were so many severall fruits which might be had one without another but collectively all together they are called the fruit It is not Love alone nor Joy alone no nor Faith alone that is the fruit of the holy Ghost Love but not love alone but that love when betweene the holy Ghost and you you can joy in that love and not repent it Joy but not joy alone but that joy when betweene the holy Ghost and you you can finde peace in that joy that you be not the sadder after for having beene so merry before this these these and all the rest together are the fruit of the holy Ghost and therefore labour to have them all or you lacke all And then lastly as we pursuing Gods Ordinance have beene able to say to you Accipite Spiritum sanctum Behold the holy Ghost in your selves behold he appeared to you when he moved you to come hither behold he appeared to you as often as he hath opened the window of the Arke your hearts to take in this Dove this houre so we may say unto you as we say in the Schoole There is an infusion of the holy Ghost liquor is infused into a vessell if that vessell hold it though it doe but cover the bottome and no more The holy Ghost is infused into you if he have made any entry if he cover any part if he have taken hold of any corrupt affection There is also a diffusion of the holy Ghost Liquor is diffused into a vessell when it fils all the parts of the vessell and leaves no emptinesse no driness The holy Ghost is diffused into you if he overspread you and possesse you all and rectifie all your perversnesses But then in the Schoole we have also an effusion of the holy Ghost And liquor is effused then when it so fils the vessell as that that overflowes to the benefit of them who will participate thereof Receive therefore the holy Ghost so as that the holy Ghost may overflow flow from your example to the edification of others That you may go home and say to your children receive ye the holy Ghost in the Spirit of contentment and acquiescence and thankfulnesse to God and me in that portion that I can leave you And say to your servants receive ye the holy Ghost in the spirit of obedience and fidelity And say to your neigh bours receive ye the holy Ghost in the spirit of peace and quiemesse And say to your Creditors receive ye the holy Ghost in the spirit of patience and tendernesse and compassion and for bearing And to your debtors receive ye the holy Ghost in the spirit of industry and labour in your calling You see Preaching it selfe even the Preaching of Christ himselfe had beene lost if the holy Ghost had not brought all those things to their remembrance And if the holy Ghost do bring these things which we preach to your remembrance you are also made fishers of men and Apostles and as the Prophet speaks Salvatores mundi Obad. 1.21 men that assist the salvation of the world by the best way of preaching an exemplar life and holy convesation Amen SERMON XXX Preached upon Whitsunday Part of the Gospell of the Day JOHN 14.20 At that day shall ye know That I am in my Father and you in me and I in you THe two Volumes of the Scriptures are justly and properly called two Testaments for they are Testatio Mentis The attestation the declaration of the will and pleasure of God how it pleased him to be served under the Law and how in the state of the Gospell But to speake according to the ordinary acceptation of the word the Testament that is The last Will of Christ Jesus is this speech this declaration of his to his Apostles of which this text is a part For it was spoken as at his Death-bed his last Supper And it was before his Agony in the garden so that if we should consider him as a meere man there was no inordinatenesse no irregularity in his affection It was testified with sufficient witnesses and it was sealed in blood in the Institution of the Sacrament By this Wil then as a rich and abundant Ver. 3. and liberall Testator having given them so great a Legacy as a place in the kingdome of heaven yet he adds a codicill he gives more he gives them the evidence by which they should maintain their right to that kingdome that is the testimony of the Spirit The Comforter the Holy Ghost whom he promises to send to them Ver. 16. And still more and more abundant he promises them that that assurance of their right shall not be taken from them till he himself return again to give them an everlasting possession That he may receive us unto himself and that where he is we may also be The main Legacy Ver. 3. the body of the gift is before That which is given in this Text is part of that evidence by which it appeares to us that we have right and by which that right is maintained and that is knowledge that knowledge which we have of our interest in God and his kingdome here At that day ye shall know c. And in the giving of this we shall consider first the Legacy it self this knowledge Cognoscetis Ye shall know And secondly the time when this Legacy grows due to us In illo die At that day ye shall know And thirdly how much of this treasure is devised to us what portion of this heavenly knowledge is bequeathed to us and that is in three great summes in three great mysteries First ye shall know the mystery of the Trinity of distinct persons in the Godhead Ego in patre That I am in my Father And then the mystery of the Incarnation of God who took our flesh Vos in me That you are in me And lastly the mystery and working of our Redemption in our Sanctification Ego in vobis That Christ by his Spirit the Holy Ghost is in us Nequitia animae ignoratio
ignorance that all blessings spirituall and temporall too proceed from God and from God only and from God manifested in Christ and from Christ explicated in the Scriptures and from the Scriptures applyed in the Church which is the summe of all religion God hath given us this Legacy of knowledge Cognoscetis At that day you shall know as knowledge is opposed to ignorance As it is opposed to inconsideration Inconsideratio it is a great work that it doth too for as God hath made himself like man in many things in taking upon him in Scriptures our lineaments and proportion our affections and passions our apparell and garments so hath God made himself like man in this also that as man doth so he also takes it worse to be neglected then to be really injured Some of our sins do not offend God so much as our inconsideration a stupid passing him over as though that we did that which we had that which we were appertained not to him had no emanation from him no dependance upon him As God sayes in the Prophet of lame and blemished and unperfect Sacrifices Offer it unto any of your Princes and see if they will accept it at your hands So I say to them that passe their lives thus inconsiderately Offer that to any of your Princes any of your Superiours Dares an officer that receives instructions from his Prince when he leaves his commandements unperformed say I never thought of it Dares a Subject a Servant a Son say so Now beloved this knowledge as it is opposed to inconsideration is in this that God by breeding us in the visible Church multiplies unto us so many helps and assistances in the word preached in the Sacraments in other Sacramentall and Rituall and Ceremoniall things which are auxiliary subsidiary reliefes and refreshings to our consideration as that it is almost impossible to fall into this inconsideration Here God shewes this inconsiderate man his book of creatures which he may run and reade that is he may go forward in his vocation and yet see that every creature calls him to a consideration of God Every Ant that he sees askes him Where had I this providence and industry Every flowre that he sees asks him Where had I this beauty this fragrancy this medicinall vertue in me Every creature calls him to consider what great things God hath done in little subjects But God opens to him also here in his Church his Booke of Scriptures and in that Book every word cries out to him every mercifull promise cries to him Why am I here to meet thee to wait upon thee to performe Gods purpose towards thee if thou never consider me never apply me to thy selfe Every judgement of his anger cryes out Why am I here if thou respect me not if thou make not thy profit of performing those conditions which are annexed to those judgements and which thou mightest performe if thou wouldest consider it Yea here God opens another book to him his manuall his bosome his pocket book his Vade Mecum the Abridgement of all Nature and all Law his owne heart and conscience And this booke though he shut it up and clasp it never so hard yet it will sometimes burst open of it selfe though he interline it with other studies and knowledges yet the Text it selfe in the book it selfe the testimonies of the conscience will shine through and appeare Though he load it and choak it with Commentaries and questions that is perplexe it with Circumstances and Disputations yet the matter it selfe which is imprinted there will present it selfe yea though he teare some leaves out of the Book that is wilfully yea studiously forget some sins that he hath done and discontinue the reading of this book the survay and consideration of his conscience for some time yet he cannot lose he cannot cast away this book that is so in him as that it is himselfe and evermore calls upon him to deliver him from this inconsideration by this open and plentifull Library which he carries about him Consider beloved the great danger of this inconsideration by remembring That even that onely perfect man Christ Jesus who had that great way of making him a perfect man as that he was perfect God too even in that act of deepest devotion in his prayer in the garden by permitting himselfe out of that humane infirmity which he was pleased to admit in himselfe though farre from sin to passe one petition in that prayer without a debated and considered will in his Transeat Calix If it be possible let this Cup passe hee was put to a re-consideration and to correct his Prayer Veruntamen Yet not my will but thine bee done And if then our best acts of praying and hearing need such an exact consideration consider the richnesse and benefit of this Legacy knowledge as this knowledge is opposed to inconsideration It is also opposed to concealing and smothering Occultatio It must be published to the benefit of others Paulùm sepultae distat inertiae celata virtus sayes the Poet Vertue that is never produced into action is scarce worthy of that name For that is it which the Apostle in his Epistle to that Church which was in Philemons house Philem. 6. doth so much praise God for That the fellowship of thy faith may be made fruitfull and that whatsoever good thing is in you through Iesus Christ may be knowne That according to the nature of goodnesse and to the roote of goodnesse God himselfe this knowledge of God may be communicated and transfused and shed and spred and derived and digested upon others And therefore certainly as the Philosopher said of civill actions Etiam simulare Philosophiam Philosophia est That it was some degree of wisedome to be able to seeme wise so though it be no degree of religion to seeme religious yet even that may be a way of reducing others and perchance themselves when a man makes a publique an outward shew of being religious by comming ordinarily to Church and doing those outward duties though this be hypocrisie in him yet sometimes other men receive profit by his example and are religious in earnest and sometimes Appropinquat nescit as S. Augustine confesses that it was his case when he came out of curiosity and not out of devotion to heare S. Ambrose preach what respect soever brought that man hither yet when God findes him here in his house he takes hold of his conscience and shewes himselfe to him though he came not to see him And if God doe thus produce good out of the hypocrite and work good in him much more will he provide a plentifull harvest by their labours who having received this knowledge from God assist their weaker brethren both by the Example of their lives and the comfort of their Doctrine This knowledge then 2. Part. In die which to work the intended effect in us is thus opposed to ignorance and to inconsideration and to
because the Son is the second and the holy Ghost the third person but the second was not before the third in time nor is above him in dignity There is processio corporalis such a bodily proceeding as that that which proceeds is utterly another thing then that from which it proceeds frogs proceed perchance of ayre and mise of dust and worms of carkasses and they resemble not that ayre that dust those carkasses that produced them There is also processio Metaphysica when thoughts proceed out of the minde but those thoughts remaine still in the mind within and have no separate subsistence in themselves And then there is processio Hyperphysica which is this which we seek and finde in our soules but not in our tongues a proceeding of the holy Ghost so from Father and Son as that he remaines a subsistence alone a distinct person of himselfe This is as far as the Schoole can reach Ortu qui relationis est non est à se Actu qui personae est per se subsistit Consider him in his proceeding so he must necessarily have a relation to another Consider him actually in his person so he subsists of himselfe And De modo for the manner of his proceeding we need we can say but this As the Son proceeds per modu intellectus so as the mind of man conceives a thought so the holy Ghost proceeds per modum voluntatis when the mind hath produced a thought that mind and that discourse and ratiocination produce a will first our understanding is setled and that understanding leads our will And nearer then this though God knows this be far off we cannot goe to the proceeding of the holy Ghost This then is The Spirit The third person in the Trinity but the first person in our Text Spiritus noster The other is our spirit The Spirit beareth witnesse with our spirit I told you before that amongst the manifold acceptations of the word spirit as it hath relation particularly to man it is either the soul it self or the vitall spirits the thin and active parts of the bloud or the superiour faculties of the soul in a regenerate man that is our spirit in this place So S. Paul distinguishes soul and spirit Heb. 4.12 The word of God pierces to the dividing asunder soule and spirit where The soule is that which inanimates the body and enables the organs of the senses to see and heare The spirit is that which enables the soule to see God and to heare his Gospel The samephrase hath the same use in another place 1 Thes 5.25 Calvin I pray God your spirit and soule and body may be preserved blamelesse Where it is not so absurdly said though a very great man call it an absurd exposition That the soule Anima is that qua animales homines as the Apostle calls them that by which men are men naturall men carnall men And the spirit is the spirit of Regeneration by which man is a new creature a spirituall man But that that Expositor himselfe hath said enough to our present purpose The soule is the seat of Affections The spirit is rectified Reason It is true this Reason is the Soveraigne these Affections are the Officers this Body is the Executioner Reason authorizes Affections command the Body executes And when we conceive in our mind desire in our heart performe in our body nothing that displeases God then have we had benefit of S. Pauls prayer That in body and soule and spirit we may be blamelesse In summe we need seek no farther for a word to expresse this spirit but that which is familiar to us The Conscience Rem 9.1 A rectified conscience is this spirit My conscience bearing me witnesse sayes the Apostle And so we have both the persons in this judiciall proceeding The Spirit is the holy Ghost Our spirit is our Conscience And now their office is to testifie to beare witnesse which is our second generall part The Spirit bears witnesse c. To be a witnesse 2 Part. is not an unworthy office for the holy Ghost himselfe Heretiques in their pestilent doctrines Tyrans in their bloody persecutions call God himselfe so often so far into question as that he needs strong and pregnant testimony to acquit him First against Heretiques we see the whole Scripture is but a Testament and Testamentum is Testatio ment is it is but an attestation a proofe what the will of God is And therefore when Tertullian deprehended himselfe to have slipped into another word and to have called the Bible Instrumentum he retracts and corrects himselfe thus Magìs usui est dicere Testamentum quà m Instrumentum It is more proper to call the Scripture a Testament then a Conveyance or Covenant All the Bible is Testament Attestation Declaration Proofe Apoc. 11.2 Evidence of the will of God to man And those two witnesses spoken of in the Revelation are very conveniently very probably interpreted to be the two Testaments And to the Scriptures Christ himselfe refers the Jews Iohn 5.39 Search them for they beare witnesse of me The word of God written by the holy Ghost is a witnesse and so the holy Ghost is a witnesse against Heretiques Against Tyrans and Persecuters the office of a witnesse is an honourable office too for that which we call more passionately and more gloriously Martyrdome is but Testimony A Martyr is nothing but a Witnesse He that pledges Christ in his own wine in his own cup in bloud He that washes away his sins in a second Baptisme and hath found a lawfull way of Re-baptizing even in bloud He that waters the Prophets ploughing and the Apostles sowing with bloud He that can be content to bleed as long as a Tyran can foame or an Executioner sweat He that is pickled nay embalmed in bloud salted with fire and preserved in his owne ashes He that to contract all nay to enlarge beyond all suffers in the Inquisition when his body is upon the rack when the rags are in his throat when the boots are upon his legs when the splinters are under his nailes if in those agonies he have the vigour to say I suffer this to shew what my Saviour suffered must yet make this difference He suffered as a Saviour I suffer but as a witnesse But yet to him that suffers as a Martyr as a witnesse a crowne is reserved It is a happy and a harmonious meeting in Stephens martyrdome Proto-martyr and Stephanus that the first Martyr for Christ should have a Crown in his name Such a blessed meeting there is in Ioash his Coronation Posuit super eum Diadema Testimonium 2 King 11.12 They put the Crowne upon his head and the Testimony that is The Law which testified That as he had the Crowne from God so he had it with a witnesse with an obligation that his Government his life and if need were his death should testifie his zeale to him
thought or said or done any thing offensive to him It is therefore onely in the third sense of this word as it is Verbum Ecclesiasticum A word which S. Paul and the other Scriptures and the Church and Ecclesiasticall Writers have used to expresse our Righteousnesse our Justification by And that is onely by the way of pardon and remission of sins sealed to us in the blood of Christ Jesus that what kinde of sinners soever we were before yet that is applied to us Such and such you were before But ye are justified by the name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6 11. Now the reproofe of the World the convincing of the World the bringing of the World to the knowledg that as they are all sub peccato under sin by the sin of another so there is a righteousnesse of another that must prevaile for all their Pardons this reproof this convincing this instruction of the World is thus wrought That the whole World consisting of Jews and Gentiles when the Holy Ghost had done enough for the convincing of both these enough for the overthrowing of all arguments which could either be brought by the Jew for the righteousnesse of the Law or by the Gentile for the righteousnesse of Works all which is abundantly done by the Holy Ghost in the Epistles of S. Paul and other Scriptures when the Holy Ghost had possessed the Church of God of these all-sufficient Scriptures Then the promise of Christ was performed and then though all the world were not presently converted yet it was presently convinced by the Holy Ghost because the Holy Ghost had provided in those Scriptures of which he is the Author that nothing could be said in the Worlds behalfe for any other Righteousnesse then by way of pardon in the blood of Christ Thus much the Holy Ghost tels us And if we will search after more then hee is pleased to tell us that is to rack the Holy Ghost to over-labour him to examine him upon such Intergatories as belongs not to us to minister unto him Curious men are not content to know That our debt is paid by Christ but they will know farther whether Christ have paid it with his owne hands or given us money to pay it our selves whether his Righteousness before it do us any good be not first made ours by Imputation or by Inhesion They must know whose money and then what money Gold or Silver whether his active obedience in fulfilling the Law or his passive obedience in shedding his blood But all the Commission of the Holy Ghost here is To reprove the World of righteousnesse To convince all Sects in the World that shall constitute any other righteousnesse then a free pardon by the incorruptible and invaluable and inexhaustible blood of Christ Jesus By that pardon his Righteousnesse is ours How it is made so or by what name we shall call our title or estate or interest in his Righteousnesse let us not enquire The termes of satisfaction in Christ of acceptation in the Father of imputation to us or inhesion in us are all pious and religious phrases and something they expresse but yet none of these Satisfaction Acceptation Imputation Inhesion will reach home to satisfie them that will needs inquire Quo modo by what meanes Christs Righteousnesse is made ours This is as far as we need go Ad eundem modum justi sumus coram Deo quo cor am eo Christus fuit peccator So as God made Christ sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 we are made the righteousnesse of God in him so but how was that He that can finde no comfort in this Doctrine till he finde How Christ was made sin and we righteousnesse till he can expresse Quo modo robs himself of a great deale of peacefull refreshing which his conscience might receive in tasting the thing it selfe in a holy and humble simplicity without vexing his owne or other mens consciences or troubling the peace of the Church with impertinent and inextricable curiosities Those questions are not so impertinent but they are in a great part unnecessary which are moved about the cause of our righteousnesse our justification Alas let us be content that God is the cause and seeke no other We must never slacken that protestation That good works are no cause of our justification But we must alwaies keepe up a right signification of that word Cause For Faith it selfe is no cause no such cause as that I can merit Heaven by faith What doe I merit of the King by beleeving that he is the undoubted Heire to all his Dominions or by beleeving that he governes well if I live not in obedience to his Laws If it were possible to beleeve aright and yet live ill my faith should doe me no good The best faith is not worth Heaven The value of it grows Ex pacto That God hath made that Covenant that Contract Crede vives onely beleeve and thou shalt be safe Faith is but one of those things which in severall senses are said to justifie us It is truly saîd of God Deus solus justificat God only justifies us Efficienter nothing can effect it nothing can worke towards it but onely the meere goodnesse of God And it is truly said of Christ Christus solus justificat Christ onely justifies us Materialiter nothing enters into the substance and body of the ransome for our sins but the obedience of Christ It is also truly said Sola fides justificat Onely faith justifies us Instrumentaliter nothing apprehends nothing applies the merit of Christ to thee but thy faith And lastly it is as truly said Sola opera justificant Onely our works justifie us Declaratoriè Only thy good life can assure thy conscience and the World that thou art justified As the efficient justification the gracious purpose of God had done us no good without the materiall satisfaction the death of Christ had followed And as that materiall satisfaction the death of Christ would do me no good without the instrumentall justification the apprehension by faith so neither would this profit without the declaratory justification by which all is pleaded and established God enters not into our materiall justification that is onely Christs Christ enters not into our instrumentall justification that is onely faiths Faith enters not into our declaratory justification for faith is secret and declaration belongs to workes Neither of these can be said to justifie us alone so as that we may take the chaine in pieces and thinke to be justified by any one link thereof by God without Christ by Christ without faith or by faith without works And yet every one of these justifies us alone so as that none of the rest enter into that way and that meanes by which any of these are said to justifie us Consider we then our selves as men fallen downe into a darke and deepe pit and justification as a chaine consisting of
baptized are of this houshold and should be relieved and received But certainly there is a race that have not this Contesseration not these testimoniall letters not this outward Baptisme Amongst those herds of vagabonds and incorrigible rogues that fill porches and barnes in the Countrey a very great part of them was never baptized people of a promiscuous generation and of a mischievous education ill brought into the world and never brought into the Church No man receives an Angel unawares for receiving or harbouring any of these neither have these any interest in the houshold of God for they have not their first Contesseration And as there are sins which we are not bid to pray for so there are beggers which we are not bid to give to God appeared by Angels in the Old Testament and he appeares by Angels in the New in his Messengers in his Ministers in his Servants And that Hospitality and those feasts which cannot receive such Angels those Ministers and Messengers of God where by reason of excesse and drunkennesse by reason of scurril and licentious discourse by reason of wanton and unchast provocations by reason of execrable and blasphemous oathes these Angels of God cannot be present but they must either offend the company by reprehension or prevaricate and betray the cause of God by their silence this is not Abrahams hospitality whose commendation was that he received Angels Those Angels came and stood before Abraham but till he lift up his eyes and ran forth to them they came not to him The Angels of the Gospel come within their distance but if you will not receive them they can break open no doores nor save you against your will The Angel does as he that sends him Stand at the doore and knock Revel 3.20 if the doore be opened he comes in and sups with him What gets he by that This He sups with me too sayes Christ there He brings his dish with him he feeds his Host more then his Host him This is true Hospitality and entertainment of Angels both when thou feedest Christ in his poore members abroad or when thou feedest thine owne soule at home with the company and conversation of true and religious Christians at thy table for these are Angels Abraham then took these three for men and no more when as they were Angels An Christus But were they all Angels and no more was not that one to whom more particularly Abraham addressed himselfe and called him Lord The Son of God Christ Jesus This very many very learned amongst the Ancients did not onely aske by way of Probleme and disputation but affirme Doctrinally by way of resolution Irenaeus thought it and expressed it so elegantly as it is almost pity if it be not true Inseminatus est ubique in Scriptur is Filius Dei sayes he The Son of God is sowed in every furrow in every place of the Scripture you may see him grow up and he gives an example out of this place Cum Abraham loquens cum Abraham comesurus Christ talked with Abraham and he dined with him And they will say that whereas it is said in that place to the Hebrewes That Abraham received Angels the word Angel must not be too precisely taken For sometimes Angel in the Scriptures signifies lesse then Angel as Iohn and Malachy are called Angels and sometimes Angel signifies more then Angel as Christ himselfe is called The Angel of the great Councell according to the Septuagint So therefore Esay 9. they will say That though Christ were there Christ himselfe might be called so An Angel Or it may be justly said by S. Paul That Abraham did receive Angels because there were two that were without question Angels This led Hilary to a direct and a present resolution that Abraham saw Christ and to exclaime gratulatorily in his behalfe Quanta fidei vis ut in indiscreta assistentium specie Christum internosceret What a perspicacy had Abrahams faith who where they were all alike could discerne one to be above them all Make this then the question whether Christ ever appeared to men upon earth before his Incarnation and the Scriptures not determining this question at all if the Fathers shall be called to judge it it will still be a perplexed case for they will be equall in number and in waight S. Augustine who is one of them that deny it sayes first for the generall the greatest worke of all the promulgation of the Law was done by Angels alone without concurrence of the Son and for this particular sayes he concerning Abraham they who thinke that Christ appeared to Abraham ground themselves but upon this reason That Abraham speakes to all in the singular number as to one person And then sayes that Father they may also observe that when this one Person whom they conclude to be Christ was departed from the other two and that the other two went up to Sodome Gen 19.18 there Lot speakes to those two in the singular number as to one person as Abraham did before From this argumentation of S. Augustines this may well be raised That when the Scriptures may be interpreted and Gods actions well understood by an ordinary way it is never necessary seldome safe to induce an extraordinary It was then an ordinary and familiar way for God to proceed with those his servants by Angels but by his Son so extraordinary as that it is not cleare that ever it was done and therefore it needs not be said nor admitted in this place In this place this falls properly to be noted that even in these three glorious Angels of God there was an eminent difference One of them seemed to Abraham to bee the principall man in the Commission and to that one he addressed himselfe Amongst the other Angels which are the Ministers in Gods Church one may have better abilities better faculties then another and it is no errour no weaknesse in a man to desire to conferre with one rather then with another or to heare one rather then another But Abraham did not so apply himselfe to one of the three that he neglected the other two No man must be so cherished so followed as that any other be thereby either defrauded of their due maintenance or dis-heartened for want of due incouragement Wee have not the greatest use of the greatest Starres but wee have more benefit of the Moone which is lesse then they because she is nearer to us It is not the depth nor the wit nor the eloquence of the Preacher that pierces us but his nearenesse that hee speaks to my conscience as though he had been behinde the hangings when I sinned and as though he had read the book of the day of Judgement already Something Abraham saw in this Angels above the rest which drew him which Moses does not expresse Something a man finds in one Preacher above another which he cannot expresse and he may very lawfully make his spirituall benefit
of that so that that be no occasion of neglecting due respects to others This being then thus fixed An Trinitas that Abraham received them as men that they were in truth no other then Angels there remaines for the shutting up of this Part this Consideration whether after Abraham came to the knowledge that they were Angels he apprehended not an intimation of the three Persons of the Trinity by these three Angels Whether Gods appearing to Abraham which Moses speaks of in the first verse were manifested to him Ver. 13. Ver. 17. when Sarah laughed in her selfe and yet they knew that she laughed Or whether it were manifested when they imparted their purpose concerning Sodome for in both these places they are called neither men nor Angels but by that name The Lord and that Lord which is Jehovah whether I say when Abraham discerned them to be such Angels as God appeared in them and spoke and wrought by them whether then as he discerned the Divinity he discerned the Trinity in them too is the question I know the explicite Doctrine of the Trinity was not easie to be apprehended then as it is not easie to be expressed now It is a bold thing in servants to inquire curiously into their Masters Pedigree whether he be well descended or well allied It is a bold thing too to inquire too curiously into the eternall generation of Christ Jesus or the eternall procession of the Holy Ghost When Gregory Nazianzen was pressed by one to assigne a difference between those words Begotten and Proceeding Dic tu mihi sayes he quid sit Generatie ego dicam tibi quid sit Processio ut ambo insaniamus Doe thou tell me what this Begetting is and then I will tell thee what this Proceeding is and all the world will finde us both mad for going about to expresse inexpressible things And as every manner of phrase in expressing or every comparison does not manifest the Trinity so every place of Scripture which the Fathers and later men have applied to that purpose does not prove the Trinity And therefore those men in the Church who have cryed downe that way of proceeding to goe about to prove the Trinty out of the first words of Genesis Creavit Dii That because God in the plurall is there joyned to a Verb in the singular therefore there is a Trinity in Unity or to prove the Trinity out of this place that because God who is but one appeared to Abraham in three Persons therefore there are three Persons in the God-head those men I say who have cryed downe such manner of arguments have reason on their side when these arguments are imployed against the Jews for for the most part the Jews have pertinent and sufficient answers to those arguments But yet betweene them who make this place a distinct and a literall and a concluding argument to prove the Trinity and them who cry out against it that it hath no relation to the Trinity our Church hath gone a middle and a moderate way when by appointing this Scripture for this day when we celebrate the Trinity it declares that to us who have been baptized and catechised in the name and faith of the Trinity it is a refreshing it is a cherishing it is an awakening of that former knowledge which we had of the Trinity to heare that our onely God thus manifested himselfe to Abraham in three Persons Luther sayes well upon this text If there were no other proofe of the Trinity but this I should not believe the Trinity but yet sayes he This is Singulare testimonium de articule Trinitatis Though it be not a concluding argument yet it is a great testimony of the Trinity Fateor saies he historico sensu nihil concludi praeter hospitalitatem I confesse in the literall sense there is nothing but a recommendation of hospitality and therefore to the Jews I would urge no more out of this place Sed non sic agendum cum auditoribus ac cum adversariis We must not proceed alike with friends and with enemies There are places of Scriptures for direct proofes and there are places to exercise our meditation and devotion in things for which we need not nor aske not any new proofe And for exercise sayes Luther Rudi ligne ad formam gladii utimur We content our selves with a foyle or with a stick and we require not a sharpe sword To cut off the enemies of the Trinity we have two-edged swords that is undeniable arguments but to exercise our owne devotions we are content with similitudinary and comparative reasons He pursues it farther to good use The story doth not teach us That Sarah is the Christian Church and Hagar the Synagogue But S. Paul proves that from that story he proves it from thence Gal. 4.24 though he call it but an Allegory It is true that S. Augustine sayes Figuranihil probat A figure an Allegory proves nothing yet sayes he addit lucem ornat It makes that which is true in it selfe more evident and more acceptable And therefore it is a lovely and a religious thing to finde out Vestigia Trinitatis Impressions of the Trinity in as many things as we can and it is a reverent obedience to embrace the wisdome of our Church in renewing the Trinity to our Contemplation by the reading of this Scripture this day for even out of this Scripture Philo Iudaeus although hee knew not the true Trinity aright found a threefold manifestation of God to man in this appearing of God to Abraham for as he is called in this Story Iehova he considers him Fontem Essentiae To be the fountaine of all Being As hee is called Deus God he considers him in the administration of his Creatures in his providence As he is called Dominus Lord and King he considers him in the judgement glorifying and rejecting according to their merits So though hee found not a Trinity of Persons he found a Trinity of Actions in the Text Creation Providence and Judgement If he who knew no Trinity could finde one shall not we who know the true one meditate the more effectually upon that by occasion of this story Let us therefore with S. Bernard consider Trinitatem Creatricem and Trinitatem Creatam A Creating and a Created Trinity A Trinity which the Trinity in Heaven Father Son and Holy Ghost hath created in our soules Reason Memory and Will and that we have super-created added another Trinity Suggestion and Consent and Delight in sin And that God after all this infuses another Trinity Faith Hope and Charity by which we returne to our first for so far that Father of Meditation S. Bernard carries this consideration of the Trinity Since therefore the confession of a Trinity is that which distinguishes us from Jews and Turks and al other professions let us discerne that beame of the Trinity which the Church hath shewed us in this text and with the words of the Church
so but it is also to declare that there is none just and righteous Jerem. 5.1 Run to and fro through the streets of Ierusalem sayes God in the Prophet and seeke in the broad places If yee can finde a man if there be any that executeth Iudgement that seeketh Truth and I will pardon it Where God does not intimate that he were unjust if he did not spare those that were unjust but he declares the generall flood and inundation of unrighteousnesse upon Earth That upon Earth there is not a righteous man to be found If God had gone no farther in his promise to man then that if there were one righteous man he would save all this in effect had been nothing for there was never any man righteous in that sense and acceptation He promised and sent one who was absolutely righteous and for his sake hath saved us To collect all Conclusio and bind up all in one bundle and bring it home to your own bosomes remember That though he appeared in men it was God that appeared to Abraham Though men preach though men remit sins though men absolve God himself speakes and God works and God seales in those men Remember that nothing appeared to Abrahams apprehension but men yet Angels were in his presence Though we binde you not to a necessity of beleeving that every man hath a particular Angel to assist him enjoy your Christian liberty in that and think in that point so as you shall find your devotion most exalted by thinking that it is or is not so yet know that you do all that you doe in the presence of Gods Angels And though it be in it selfe and should be so to us a stronger bridle to consider that we doe all in the presence of God who sees clearer then they for he sees secret thoughts and can strike immediately which they cannot do without commission from him yet since the presence of a Magistrate or a Preacher or a father or a husband keeps men often from ill actions let this prevaile something with thee to that purpose That the Angels of God are alwayes present though thou discerne them not Remember that though Christ himself were not amongst the three Angels yet Abraham apprehended a greater dignity and gave a greater respect to one then to the rest but yet without neglecting the rest too Apply thy selfe to such Ministers of God and such Physitians of thy soule as thine owne conscience tels thee doe most good upon thee but yet let no particular affection to one defraud another in his duties nor empaire another in his estimation And remember too That though Gods appearing thus in three persons be no irrefragable argument to prove the Trinity against the Jews yet it is a convenient illustration of the Trinity to thee that art a Christian And therefore be not too curious in searching reasons and demonstrations of the Trinity but yet accustome thy selfe to meditations upon the Trinity in all occasions and finde impressions of the Trinity in the three faculties of thine owne soule Thy Reason thy Will and thy Memory and seeke a reparation of that thy Trinity by a new Trinity by faith in Christ Jesus by hope of him and by a charitable delivering him to others in a holy and exemplar life Descend thou into thy selfe as Abraham ascended to God and admit thine owne expostulations as God did his Let thine own conscience tell thee not onely thy open and evident rebellions against God but even the immoralities and incivilities that thou dost towards men in scandalizing them by thy sins And the absurdities that thou committest against thy selfe in sinning against thine owne reason And the uncleannesses and consequently the treachery that thou committest against thine owne body and thou shalt see that thou hadst been not onely in better peace but in better state and better health and in better reputation a better friend and better company if thou hadst finned lesse because some of thy sins have been such as have violated the band of friendship and some such as have made thy company and conversation dangerous either for tentation or at least for defamation Tell thy selfe that thou art the Judge as Abraham told God that he was and that if thou wilt judge thy selfe thou shalt scape a severer judgement He told God that he was Judge of all the earth Judge all that earth that thou art Judge both thy kingdomes thy soule and thy body Judge all the Provinces of both kingdomes all the senses of thy body and all the faculties of thy soule and thou shalt leave nothing for the last Judgement Mingle not the just and the unjust together God did not so Doe not thinke good and bad all one Doe not think alike of thy sins and of thy good deeds as though when Gods grace had quickned them still thy good works were nothing thy prayers nothing thine almes nothing in the sight and acceptation of God But yet spare not the wicked for the just continue not in thy beloved sin because thou makest God amends some other way And when all is done as in God towards Abraham his mercy was above all so after all Miserere animae tuae Be inercifull to thine owne soule And when the effectuall Spirit of God hath spoken peace and comfort and sealed a reconciliation to God to thy soule rest in that blessed peace and enter into no such new judgement with thy selfe againe as should overcome thine own Mercy with new distractions or new suspitions that thy Repentance was not accepted or God not fully reconciled unto thee God because he judges all the earth cannot doe wrong If thou judge thy earth and earthly affections so as that thou examine clearly and judge truly thou dost not doe right if thou extend not Mercy to thy selfe if thou receive not and apply not cheerfully and confidently to thy soul that pardon and remission of all thy sins which the holy Ghost in that blessed state hath given thee commission to pronounce to thine owne soul and to seale with his seale SERM. XLIII Preached at S. Dunstans upon Trinity-Sunday 1624. MAT. 3.17 And lo A voyce came from heaven saying This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased IT hath been the custome of the Christian Church to appropriate certaine Scriptures to certaine Dayes for the celebrating of certaine Mysteries of God or the commemorating of certaine benefits from God They who consider the age of the Christian Church too high or too low too soone or too late either in the cradle as it is exhibited in the Acts of the Apostles or bed-rid in the corruptions of Rome either before it was come to any growth when Persecutions nipped it or when it was so over-growne as that prosperity and outward splendor swelled it They that consider the Church so will never finde a good measure to direct our religious worship of God by for the outward Liturgies and Ceremonies of the Church But as
soon as the Christian Church had a constant establishment under Christian Emperours and before the Church had her tympany of worldly prosperity under usurping Bishops in this outward service of God there were particular Scriptures appropriated to particular dayes Particular men have not liked this that it should be so And yet that Church which they use to take for their patterne I meane Geneva as soone as it came to have any convenient establishment by the labours of that Reverend man who did so much in the rectifying thereof admitted this custome of celebrating certaine times by the reading of certaine Scriptures So that in the pure times of the Church without any question and in the corrupter times of the Church without any infection and in the Reformed times of the Church without any suspition of back-sliding this custome hath beene retained which our Church hath retained and according to which custome these words have been appropriated to this day for the celebrating thereof And lo A voice came c. In which words we have pregnant and just occasion to consider first Divisio the necessity of the Doctrine of the Trinity Secondly the way and meanes by which we are to receive our knowledge and understannding of this mystery And thirdly the measure of this knowledge How much we are to know or to inquire in that unsearchable mystery The Quid what it is the Quomodo How we are to learne it and the Quantum How farre we are to search into it will be our three Parts We consider the first of these the necessity of that knowledge to a Christian by occasion of the first Particle in the Text And A Particle of Connexion and Dependance and we see by this Connexion and Dependance that this revealing this manifestation of the Trinity in the text was made presently after the Baptisme of Christ and that intimates and inferres That the first and principall duty of him who hath ingrafted himself into the body of the Christian Church by Baptisme is to informe himselfe of the Trinity in whose name he is Baptized Secondly in the meanes by which this knowledge of the Trinity is to be derived to us in those words Lo a voyce came from heaven saying we note the first word to be a word of Correction and of Direction Ecce Behold leave your blindnesse look up shake off your stupidity look one way or other A Christian must not goe on implicitely inconsiderately indifferently he must look up he must intend a calling And then Ecce againe Behold that is Behold the true way A Christian must not thinke he hath done enough if he have been studious and diligent in finding the mysteries of Religion if he have not sought them the right way First there is an Ecce corrigentis we are chidden if we be lazy And then there is an Ecce dirigentis we are guided if we be doubtfull And from this we fall into the way it selfe which is first A voyce There must be something heard for take the largest Spheare and compasse of all other kinds of proofes for the mysteries of Religion which can be proposed Take it first at the first and weakest kinde of proofe at the book of creatures which is but a faint knowledge of God in respect of that knowledge with which we must know him And then continue this first way of knowledge to the last and powerfullest proofe of all which is the power of miracles not this weake beginning not this powerfull end not this Alpha of Creatures not this Omega of miracles can imprint in us that knowledge which is our saving knowledge nor any other meanes then a voyce for this knowing is beleeving And how should they beleeve except they heare sayes the Apostle It must be Vox A voyce And Vox de coelis A voyce from heaven For we have have had voces de terra voyces of men who have indeed but diminished the dignity of the Doctrine of the Trinity by going about to prove it by humane reason or to illustrate it by weak and low comparisons And we have had voces de Inferis voyces from the Devill himselfe in the mouthes of many Heretiques blasphemously impugning this Doctrine Wee have had voces de profundis voyces fetched from the depth of the malice of the Devill Heretiques And voces de medio voyces taken from the ordinary strength of Morall men Philosophers But this is vox de Excelsis onely that voyce that comes from Heaven belongs to us in this mystery And then lastly it is vox dicens a voyce saying speaking which is proper to man for nothing speaks but man It is Gods voyce but presented to us in the ministery of man And this is our way To behold that is to depart from our own blindnesse and to behold a way that is shewed us but shewed us in the word and in the word of God and in that word of God preached by man And after all this we shall consider the measure of this knowledge in those last words This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased For in that word Meus My there is the Person of the Father In the Filius there is the Person of the Son and in the Hic est This is there is the Person of the Holy Ghost for that is the action of the Holy Ghost in that word He is pointed at who was newly baptized and upon whom the Holy Ghost in the Dove was descended and had tarried But we shall take those words in their order when we come to them First then 1 Part. we noted the necessity of knowing the Trinity to be pregnantly intimated in the first word Et And This connects it to the former part of the history which is Christs Baptisme and presently upon that Baptisme this manifestation of the holy Trinity Consider a man as a Christian his first Element is Baptisme and his next is Catechisme and in his Catechisme the first is to beleeve a Father Son and holy Ghost There are in this man this Christian Tres nativitates sayes S. Gregory three births one Per generationem so we are borne of our naturall mother one Per regenerationem so we are borne of our spirituall Mother the Church by Baptisme and a third Per Resurrectionem and so we are borne of the generall Mother of us all when the earth shall be delivered not of twins but of millions when she shall empty her selfe of all her children in the Resurrection And these three Nativities our Saviour Christ Jesus had Of which three Hodie alter salvator is natalis sayes S. Augustine This day is the day of Christs second birth that is of his Baptisme Not that Christ needed any Regeneration but that it was his abundant goodnesse to sanctifie in his person and in his exemplar action that Element which should be an instrument of our Regeneration in Baptisme the water for ever Even in Christ himselfe Honoratior secunda sayes
years after the Donation of the Emperour Constantine by which the Bishops of Rome pretend all that to be theirs surely they could not finde this Patent this Record this Donation of Constantine then when Boniface begd this Temple in Rome this Pantheon of the Emperour And this Temple formerly the Temple of all their gods that Bishop consecrated to the honour of all the Martyrs of all the Saints of that kinde But after him another Bishop of the same sea enlarged the consecration and accompanied it with this festivall which we celebrate to day in honour of the Trinity and Angels and Apostles and Martyrs and Confessors and Saints and all the elect children of God So that it is truly a festivall grounded upon that Article of the Creed The Communion of Saints and unites in our devout contemplation The Head of the Church God himselfe and those two noble constitutive parts thereof The Triumphant and the Militant And accordingly hath the Church applied this part of Scripture to be read for the Epistle of this day to shew that All-Saints day hath relation to all Saints both living and dead for those servants of God which are here in this text sealed in their foreheads are such without all question as receive that Seale here here in the militant Church And therefore as these words so this festivall in their intendiment that applied these words to this festivall is also of Saints upon Earth This day being then the day of the Communion of Saints and this Scripture being received for the Epistle of this universall day that exposition will best befit it which makes it most universall And therefore with very good authority such as the expositions of this booke of the Revelation can receive of which booke no man will undertake to the Church that he hath found the certaine and the literall sense as yet nor is sure to do it Irenaeus till the prophecies of this booke be accomplished for prophetiae ingenium ut in obscuro delitescat donec impleatur It is the nature of prophecy to be secret till it be fulfilled Dan. 12.4 And therefore Daniel was bid to shut up the words and to seale the booke even to the time of the end that is to the end of the prophecy with good authority I say we take that number of the servants of God which are said to be sealed in the fourth verse of this Chapter which is one hundred forty foure thousand and that multitude which none could number of all Nations which are mentioned in the ninth verse to be intended of one and the same company both these expressions denote the same persons In the fourth verse of the fourteenth Chapter this number of one hundred forty foure thousand is applied to Virgins but is intended of all Gods Saints for every holy soule is a virgin And then this name of Israel which is mentioned in the fourth verse of this Chapter That there were so many sealed of the house of Israel is often in Scriptures applied to spirituall Israelites to Beleevers for every faithfull soule is an Israelite so that this number of one hundred forty foure thousand Virgins and one hundred forty foure thousand Israelites which is not a certaine number but a number expressing a numberlesse multitude this number and that numberlesse multitude spoken of after of all Nations which none could number is all one and both making up the great and glorious body of all Saints import and present thus much in generall That howsoever God inflict great and heavy calamities in this world to the shaking of the best morall and Christianly constancies and consciences yet all his Saints being eternally knowne by him shall be sealed by him that is so assured of his assistance by a good using of those helps which he shall afford them in the Christian Church intended in this sealing on the forehead that those afflictions shall never separate them from him nor frustrate his determination nor disappoint his gracious purpose upon them all them this multitude which no man could number To come then to the words themselves Divisio we see the safety and protection of the Saints of God and his children in the person and proceeding of our Protector in that it is in the hands of an Angel I saw another Angel And an Angel of that place that came from the East The East that is the fountaine of all light and glory I saw another Angel come from the East And as the Word doth naturally signifie and is so rendred in this last Translation Ascending from the East that is growing and encreasing in strength After that we shall consider our assurance in the commission and power of this Angel He had the seaele of the living God And then in the execution of this Commission In which we shall see first who our enemies were They were also Angels This Angel cryed to other Angels able to do much by nature because Angels Then we shall see their number they were foure Angels made stronger by joyning This Angel cryed to those foure Angels And besides their malignant nature and united concord two shrewd disadvantages mischievous and many They had a power a particular an extraordinary power given them at that time to do hurt foure Angels to whom power was given to hurt And to do generall universall hurt power to hurt the Earth and the Sea After all this we shall see this Protector against these enemies and their Commission execute his first by declaring and publishing it He cryed with a loud voyce And then lastly what his Commission was It was to stay those foure Angels for all their Commission from hurting the Earth and the Sea and the Trees But yet this is not for ever It is but till the servants of God were sealed in the forehead that is till God had afforded them such helpes as that by a good use of them they might subsist which if they did not for all their sealing in the forehead this Angel will deliver them over to the other foure destroying Angels Of which sealing that is conferring of Grace and helps against those spirituall enemies there is a pregnant intimation that it is done by the benefit of the Church in the power of the Church which is no singular person in that upon the sudden the person and the number is varied in our text and this Angel which when he is said to ascend from the East and to cry with a loud voyce is still a singular Angel one Angel yet when he comes to the act of sealing in the forehead to the dispensing of Sacraments and sacramentall assistances he does that as a plurall person he represents more the whole Church and therefore sayes here Stay hurt nothing Till we we have sealed the servants of our our God in their foreheads And by all these steps must we passe through this garden of flowers this orchard of fruits this abundant Text. First then Man being compassed with
a cloud of witnesses of his own infirmities Angelus and the manifold afflictions of this life for Dies diei eructat verbum Psal 19.2 Day unto day uttereth the same and night unto night teacheth knowledge The bells tell him in the night and fame tels him in the day that he himselfe melts and drops away piece-meal in the departing of parents and wife and children out of this world yea he heares daily of a worse departing he hears of the defection and back-sliding of some of his particular acquaintance in matter of religion or of their stifnesse and obduration in some course of sin which is the worse consumption Dies diei eructat every day makes him learneder then other in this sad knowledge And he knowes withall Quod cuiquam accidere potest cuivis potest that any of their cases may be his case too Man that is compassed with such a cloud of such witnesses had need of some light to shew him the right way and some strength to enable him to walk safely in it And this light and strength is here proposed in the assistance of an Angel Which being first understood of Angels in generall affords a great measure of comfort to us because the Angels are seduli animae pedissequae Bern. faithfull and diligent attendants upon all our steps They doe so they doe attend the service and good of man because it is illorum optimum It is the best thing that Angels as Angels can doe to doe so For evermore it is best for every thing to doe that for which it was ordained and made and they were made Angels for the service and assistance of man Bern. Vnum tui Angeli optimum est Man and Angels have one and the same thing in them which is better then any thing else that they have Nothing hath it but they and both they have it Deus nihil sui optimum habet unum optimum totus It is not so with God Idâ—â— God hath nothing in him that is Best but he is altogether one intire Best But Man and Angels have one thing common to them both which is the best thing that naturally either of them hath that is Reason understanding knowledge discourse consideration Angels and Men have grace too that is infinitely better then their Reason but though Grace be the principall in the nature and dignity thereof yet it is but accessory to an Angel or to man Grace is not in their nature at first but infused by God not to make them Angels and Men but to make them good Angels and good men This very reason then which is Illorum optimum The best thing that Angels as Angels naturally have teaches them that the best thing that they can doe is the performance of that for which they were made And then howsoever they were made spirits for a more glorious use to stand in the presence of God and to enjoy the fulnesse of that contemplation yet he made his spirits Angels for the love which he had to be with the sons of men Sufficit illis Bern. et pro magno habeant Let this content the Angels and let them magnifie God for this Quòd cum spiritus sint conditione ex gratia facti sunt Angeli That whereas by nature they are but spirits and the devill is so by favour and by office they are made Angels messengers from God to man Now as the Angels are not defective in their best part their Reason and therefore do their office in assisting us so also let us exalt our best part our Reason too to reverence them with a care of doing such actions onely as might not be unfit for their presence Both Angels and we have the Image of God imprinted in us the Angels have it not in summo though they have it in tuto They have it not in the highest degree for so Christ onely is the Image of the invisible God but they have it in a deep impression Colos 1.15 so as they can neither lose it nor deface it We have this Image of God so as that we cannot lose it but we may and doe deface it Vri potest non exuri The Devil hath this Image in him Bern. and it cannot be burnt out in hell for it is imprinted in the very naturall faculties of the soule But if we consider how many waters beat upon us in this world to wash off this Image how many rusty and habituall sins gnaw upon us to eat out this Image how many files passe over our souls in calamities and afflictions in which though God have a purpose Resculpere imaginem to re-engrave to refresh to polish this Image in us August by those corrections yet the devill hath a harsh file too that works a murmuring a comparing of our sinnes with other mens sinnes and our punishments with other mens punishments and at last either a denying of Providence That things so unequally carried cannot be governed by God or a wilfull renouncing of it in Desperation That his Providence cannot bee resisted and therefore it is all one what wee doe If wee consider this wee had need looke for Assistants Let us therefore looke first to that which is best in us naturally that is Reason For if we lose that our Reason our Discourse our Consideration and sinke into an incapable and barren stupidity there is no footing no subsistence for grace All the vertue of Corne is in the seed but that will not grow in water but onely in the earth All the good of man considered supernaturally is in grace but that will not grow in a washy soule in a liquid in a watery and dissolute and scattered man Grace growes in reason In that man and in that minde that considers the great treasure what it is to have the Image of God in him naturally for even that is our earnest of supernaturall perfection And this Image of God even in the Angels being Reason and the best act of rectified Reason The doing of that for which they were made It is that which the Angels are naturally inclined to doe to be alwayes present for the assistance of man for therefore they are Angels And since they have a joy at the Conversion of a sinner and every thing affects joy and therefore they indeavour our Conversion yea since they have an increase of their knowledge by being about us for S. Paul sayes That he was made a Preacher of the Gospel Eph. 3.10 to the intent that Angels might know by the Church the manifold wisedome of God And every thing affects knowledge these Saints of God upon earth intended in our Text might justly promise themselves a strong and a blessed comfort and a happy issue in all tribulations by this Scripture if there were no more intended in it but onely the assistance of Angels I saw an Angel But our security of deliverance is in a safer Angelus Christus and a
to doe as the salvation of soules he would make use of my tongue And being to save the world by his word that I should speak that word Docendo vos quod per se faciliùs suaviùs posset That he calls me up hither to teach you that which he could teach you better and sooner at home by his Spirit Indulgentia ejus est non indigentia It is the largenesse of his mercy towards you not any narrownesse in his power that he needs me And so have you this Angel in our text in all the acceptations in which our Expositors have delivered him It is Christ It is the Angels of heaven It is the Ministery of the Gospel And this Angell whosoever whatsoever S. Iohn saw come from the East I saw an Angel come from the East which was our second Branch and fals next into consideration This addition is intended for a particular addition to our comfort Ab oriente it is a particular endowment or inlargement of strength and power in this Angel that he comes from the East If we take it to goe the same way that we went before first of naturall Angels even the Westerne Angels Qui habuere occasum Those Angels which have had their Sun-set their fall they came from the East too Quomodo cecidisti decoelo Lucifer filius orientis Esay 14 12. How art thou fallen from heaven O Lucifer the Son of the morning He had his begetting his Creation in the East in the light and there might have stayed for any necessity of falling that God laid upon him Take the Angel of the text to be the Angel of the Covenant Christ Jesus and his name is The East he cannot be knowne he cannot bee said to have any West Zech. 6.12 Ecce vir Oriens nomen ejus so the vulgat reads that place Behold the Man whose name is the East you can call him nothing else for so the other Zachary the Zachary of the New Testament cals him too Luke 1.78 Per viscera misericordiae Through the tender bowels of his mercy Visitavit nos Oriens The East the day spring from on high hath visited us And he was derived à Patre luminum He came from the East begotten from all eternity of the Father of lights Iohn 16.28 I came out from the Father and came into the world Take this Angel to be the Preacher of the Gospel literally really the Gospell came out of the East where Christ lived and dyed and Typically figuratively Paradise which also figured the place to which the Gospel is to carry us Heaven that also was planted in the East and therefore S. Basil assignes that for the reason why in the Church service we turne to the East when we pray Quia antiquam requirimus patriam Wee looke towards our ancient country where the Gospel of our salvation was literally acted and accomplished and where Heaven the end of the Gospel was represented in Paradise Every way the Gospel is an Angel of the East But this is that which we take to be principally intended in it That as the East is the fountaine of light so all our illumination is to be taken from the Gospell Spread we this a little thinner and we shall better see through it If the calamities of the world or the heavy consideration of thine own sins have benummed and benighted thy soule in the vale of darknesse and in the shadow of death If thou thinke to wrastle and bustle through these strong stormes and thick clouds with a strong hand If thou thinke thy money thy bribes shall conjure thee up stronger spirits then those that oppose thee If thou seek ease in thy calamities that way to shake and shipwrack thine enemies In these crosse winds in these countermines to oppresse as thou art oppressed all this is but a turning to the North to blow away and scatter these sadnesses with a false an illusory and a sinfull comfort If thou thinke to ease thy selfe in the contemplation of thine honour thine offices thy favour thy riches thy health this is but a turning to the South the Sun-shine of worldly prosperity If thou sinke under thy afflictions and canst not finde nourishment but poyson in Gods corrections nor justice but cruelty in his judgements nor mercy but slacknesse in his forbearance till now If thou suffer thy soule to set in a cloud a dark cloud of ignorance of Gods providence and proceedings or in a darker of diffidence of his performance towards thee this is a turning to the West and all these are perverse and awry But turne to the East and to the Angel that comes from thence The Ministery of the Gospel of Christ Jesus in his Church It is true thou mayst find some darke places in the Scriptures Basil and Est silentii species obscuritas To speake darkly and obscurely is a kinde of silence I were as good not be spoken to as not be made to understand that which is spoken yet fixe thy selfe upon this Angel of the East the preaching of the Word the Ordinance of God and thine understanding shall be enlightned and thy beliefe established and thy conscience thus far unburthened that though the sins which thou hast done cannot be undone yet neither shalt thou bee undone by them There where thou art afraid of them in judgement they shall never meet thee but as in the round frame of the World the farthest West is East where the West ends the East begins So in thee who art a World too thy West and thy East shall joyne and when thy Sun thy soule comes to set in thy death-bed the Son of Grace shall suck it up into glory Our Angel comes from the East Angelus Ascendens a denotation of splendor and illustration of understanding and conscience and there is more he comes Ascending I saw an Angel ascend from the East that is still growing more cleare and more powerfull upon us Take the Angel here of naturall Angels 1 Sam. 28.13 and then when the Witch of Endor though an evill Spirit appeared to her yet saw him appeare so Ascending she attributes that glory to it I see gods Ascending out of the earth Take the Angel to be Christ and then his Ascension was Foelix clausula totius itinerarii Bernar. The glorious shutting up of all his progresse and though his descending from Heaven to earth and his descending from earth to hell gave us our title his Ascending by which he carried up our flesh to the right hand of his Father gave us our possession His Descent his humiliation gave us Ius ad rem but his Ascension Ius in re But as this Angel is the Ministery of the Gospel God gave it a glorious ascent in the Primitive Church Psal 19.6 when as this Sun Exultavit ut gigas ad currendam viam ascended quickly beyond the reach of Heretiques wits and Persecutors swords and as glorious an ascent in the
owne will thou hadst quenched hell If thou couldst be content willing to be in hell hell were not hell So if God save a man against his will heaven is not heaven If he be loath to come thither sorry that he shall be there he hath not the joy of heaven and then heaven is not heaven Put not God to save thee by miracle God can save an Image by miracle by miracle he can make an Image a man If man can make God of bread certainly God can make a man of an Image and so save him but God hath made thee his own Image and afforded thee meanes of salvation Use them God compels no man Luke 14.23 The Master of the feast invited many solemnly before hand they came not He sent his servants to call in the poore upon the sudden and they came so he receives late commers And there is a Compelle intrare He sends a servant to compell some to come in But that was but a servants work The Master onely invited he compelled none We the servants of God have certaine compulsories to bring men hither The denouncing of Gods Judgements the censures of the Church Excommunications and the rest are compulsories The State hath compulsories too in the penall Laws But all this is but to bring them into the house to Church Compelle intrare We can compell them to come to the first seale to Baptisme we can compell men to bring their children to that Sacrament But to salvation onely the Master brings and in that Parable the Master does onely invite he compells none Though his corrections may seeme to be compulsories yet even his corrections are sweet invitations His corrections are so farre from compelling men to come to heaven as that they put many men farther out of their way and worke an obduration rather then an obsequiousnesse With those therefore that neglect the meanes that he hath brought them to in sealing them in the fore-head this Angel hath no more to doe but gives them over to the power of the foure destroying Angels With those that attend those meanns he proceeds and in their behalfe his Donec Spare them till I have sealed them becomes the blessed Virgins Donec Mat. 1.25 Psal 110.1 she was a Virgin till she had her Child and a Virgin after too And it becomes our blessed Saviours Donec He sits at his Fathers right hand till his enemies bee made his foot-stoole and after too So these destroying Angels that had no power over them till they were sealed shall have no power over them after they are sealed but they shall passe from seale to seale after that seale on the fore-head Ne erubeseant Euangelium Rom. 1.16 We signe him with the signe of the Crosse in token that hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confesse the faith of Christ Crucified He shall come also to those seales which our Saviour recommends to his Spouse Cant. 8.6 Set me as a seale on thy heart and as a seale on thine arme S. Ambrose collects them and connects them together Signaculum Christi in corde ut diligamus in fronte ut confiteamur in brachio ut operemur God seales us in the heart that we might love him and in the fore-head that we might professe it and in the hand that we might declare and practise it and then the whole purpose of this blessed Angel in our Text is perfected in us and we our selves are made partakers of the solemnity of this day which we celebrate for we our selves enter in the Communion of Saints by these three seales Of Beliefe Of Profession Of Works and Practise SERMONS Preached upon THE CONVERSION OF S. PAVL SERM. XLVI Preached at S. Pauls The Sunday after the Conversion of S. PAUL 1624. ACTS 9.4 And he fell to the earth and heard a voyce saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me LEt us now praise famous Men and our Fathers that begat us Ecclus. 44.1 saies the Wiseman that is that assisted our second generation our spirituall Regeneration Let us praise them commemorate them The Lord hath wrought great glory by them Ver. 2. through his power from the beginning saies he there that is It hath alwaies beene the Lords way to glorifie himselfe in the conversion of Men by the ministery of Men. For he adds Ver. 4. They were leaders of the people by their counsaile and by their knowledge and learning meet for the people wise and eloquent men in their instructions and that is That God who gives these gifts for this purpose looks for the employment of these gifts to the edification of others to his glory There be of them that have left a name behinde them Ver. 8. as it is also added in that place that is That though God can amply reward his servants in the next world yet he does it sometimes in this world and though not with temporall happinesses in their life yet with honor and commemorations and celebrations of them after they are gone out of this life they leave a name behind them And amongst them in a high place shines our blessed and glorious Apostle S. Paul whose Conversion the Church celebrates now and for the celebration thereof hath appointed this part of Scripture from whence this text arises to be the Epistle of the Day And he fell to the earth and heard a voyce saying Saul Saul why persccutest thou me There are words in the text that will reach to all the Story of S. Pauls Conversion Divisio embrace all involve and enwrap all we must contract them into lesse then three parts we cannot well those will be these first The Person Saul He He fell to the earth and then his humiliation his exinanition of himselfe his devesting putting off of himselfe He fell to the earth and lastly his investing of Christ his putting on of Christ his rising againe by the power of a new inanimation a new soule breathed into him from Christ He heard a voyce saying Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Now a re-distribution a sub-division of these parts into their branches we shall present to you anon more opportunely as we shall come in due order to the handling of the parts themselves In the first the branches will be but these Sauls indisposition when Christ tooke him in hand and Christs worke upon him what he found him what he left him will determine our first part The person First then what he was at that time 1. Part. Quid ante the Holy Ghost gives evidence enough against him and he gives enough against himselfe Of that which the Holy Ghost gives you may see a great many heavy pieces a great many appliable circumstances if at any time at home you do but paraphrase and spread to your selves the former part of this Chapter to this text Take a little preparation from me Adhuc spirans saies the first verse Saul yet breathing threatnings and slaughter Then when he was
glorified in those victories which we by his grace gaine over the Devill Nescit Diabolus quant a bona de illo fiunt etiam cum saevit August Little knowes the Devill how much good he does us when he tempts us for by that we are excited to have our present recourse to that God whom in our former security we neglected who gives us the issue with the tentation Ego novi quid apposuerim Idem I know what infirmities I I have submitted thee to and what I have laid and applied to thee Ego novi unde aegrotes ego novi unde saneris I know thy sicknesse and I know thy physick Sufficit tibi gratiamea Whatsoever the disease be my grace shall be sufficient to cure it For whether we understand that as S. Chrysostome does De gratia miraculorum That it is sufficient for any mans assurance in any tentation or tribulation to consider Gods miraculous deliverances of other men in the like cases or whether we understand it according to the generall voyce of the Interpreters that is Be content that there remaine in thy flesh Matter and Subject for me to produce glory from thy weaknesse and Matter and Subject for thee to exercise thy faith and allegeance to me still these words will carry an argument against the expedience of absolute praying against all tentations for still this Gratiamea sufficit will import this amount to this I have as many Antidotes as the Devill hath poisons I have as much mercy as the Devill hath malice There must be Scorpions in the world but the Scorpion shall cure the Scorpion there must be tentations but tentations shall adde to mine and to thy glory and Eripiam I will deliver thee This word is in the Originall Chalatz which signifies Eripere in such a sense as our language does not fully reach in any one word So there is some defectivenesse some slacknesse in this word of our Translation Delivering For it is such a Delivering as is a sudden catching hold and snatching at the soule of a man then when it is at the brink and edge of a sin So that if thy facility and that which thou wilt make shift to call Good Nature or Good Manners have put thee into the hands of that subtile woman that Solomon speaks of That is come forth to mect thee and seek thy face Prov. 7.10.15 If thou have followed her As an Oxe goeth to the slaughter and as a foole to the correction of the stocks Even then when the Axe is over thy head then when thou hast approacht so neare to destruction then is the season of this prayer Eripe me Domine Catch hold of me now O Lord Gen. 39.10 and Deliver my soule When Ioseph had resisted the tentations of his Masters Wife and resisted them the onely safe way not onely not to yeeld but as the Text sayes not to come in her company and yet she had found her opportunity when there was none in the house but they he came to an inward Eripe me Domine O Lord take hold of me now and she caught and God caught She caught his garment and God his soule She delivered him and God delivered him She to Prison and God from thence If thy curiosity or thy considence in thine owne spirituall strength carry thee into the house of Rimmon to Idolatry to a Masse trust not thou to Naamans request Ignoscat Dominus servo in bacre 2 Kings 5. That God will pardon thee as often as thou doest so but since thou hast done so now now come to this Eripe animam O Lord deliver my soule now from taking harme now and hereafter from exposing my selfe to the like harme For this is the purpose of Davids prayer in this signification of this word that howsoever infirmity or company or curiosity or confidence bring us within the distance and danger within the Spheare and Latitude of a tentation that though we be not lodged in Sodome yet we are in the Suburbs though we be not impailed in a sin yet we are within the purlues which is not safely done no more then it is in a State to trust alwaies to a Defensive Warre yet when we are ingaged and enthralled in such a tentation then though God be not delighted with our danger yet then is God most delighted to help us when we are in danger and then he comes not only to deliver us from that imminent and particular danger according to that signification of this word but according to that Interpretation of this word which the Septuagint have given it in the Prophet Esay Esay 58.11 Iachalitz Pinguefaciet He shall proceed in his worke and make fat thy soule That is Deliver thee now and preserve and establish thee after to the fulfilling of all that belongs to the last Petition of this prayer Salvum me fac O Lord save me Though he have been absent he shall Returne and being Returned shall not stand still nor stand Neutrall but deliver thee and having delivered thee shall not determine his love in that one act of mercy but shall Save thee that is Imprint in thee a holy confidence that his salvation is thine So then Salvum me fac Esay 19.20 in that manner is Gods Deliverance exprest They shall cry unto him till wee cry he takes no knowledge at all and then he sends to them there is his returning upon their cry and then He shall deliver them sayes that Prophet and so the two former Petitions of this prayer are answered but the Consummation and Establishment of all is in the third which followes in the same place He shall send them a Saviour and a great one Esay 62.11 But who is that what Saviour Doubtlesse he that is proclaimed by God in the same Prophet Behold the Lord hath proclaimed unto the end of the world Behold thy salvation commeth For that word which that Prophet uses there and this word in which David presents this last Petition here is in both places Iashang and Iashang is the very word from which the name of Iesus is derived so that David desires here that salvation which Esay proclaimed there salvation in the Saviour of the world Christ Jesus and an interest in the assurance of his merits We finde this name of Saviour attributed to other men in the Scriptures then to Christ In particular distresses when God raised up men to deliver his people sometimes those men were so called Saviours And so S. Ierome interprets those words of the Prophet Ascendent salvatores Obad. 1.21 Saviours shall come up on Mount Sion of Prophets and Preachers and such other Instruments as God should raise for the salvation of soules Those whom in other places he calls Angels of the Church here he calls by that higher name Saviours But such a Saviour as is proclaimed to the ends of the world to all the world a Saviour in the Mountaines in the height
God against sin and sinners Vt erubescatis that we might see blood in your faces the blood of your Saviour working in that shame for sin That that question of the Prophet might not confound you Were they ashamed when they committed abomination nay they were not ashamed Ier. 6.15 Erubescere nesciebāt they were never used to shame they knew not how to be ashamed Therefore sayes he they shall fall amongst them that fall they shall do as the world does sin as their neighbours sin and fall as they fall irrepentantly here and hereafter irrecoverably And then Vt conturbati sitis that you may be troubled in your hearts and not cry Peace Peace where there is no peace and flatter your selves because you are in a true Religion and in the right way for a Child may drowne in a Font and a Man may be poysoned in the Sacrament much more perish though in a true Church And also Vt revertamini that you may returne againe to the Lord returne to that state of purenesse which God gave you in Baptisme to that state which God gave you the last time you received his body and blood so as became you And then lastly Vt erubescatis velociter that you may come to the beginning of this and to all this quickly and not to defer it because God defers the judgement For to end this with S. Augustines words upon this word Velociter Quandocunque venit celerrimè venit quod desperatur esse venturum How late soever it come that comes quickly if it come at all which we beleeved would never come How long soever it be before that judgement come yet it comes quickly if it come before thou looke for it or be ready for it Whosoever labours to sleepe out the thought of that day His damnation sleepeth not sayes the Apostle It is not onely that his damnation is not dead that there shall never be any such day but that it is no day asleepe every midnight shall be a day of judgement to him and keepe him awake and when consternation and lassitude lend him or conterfait to him a sleep as S. Basil sayes of the righteous Etiam somnia justorum preces sunt That even their Dreames are prayers so this incorrigible sinners Dreames shall be not onely presages of his future but acts of his present condemnation SERM. LVI Preached upon the Penitentiall Psalmes PSAL. 32.1 2. Blessed is he whose trangression is forgiven whose sinne is covered Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie and in whose spirit there is no guile THis that I have read to you can scarce be called all the Text I proposed for the Text the first and second verses and there belongs more to the first then I have delivered in it for in all those Translators and Expositors who apply themselves exactly to the Originall to the Hebrew the Title of the Psalme is part of the first verse of the Psalme S. Augustine gives somewhat a strange reason why the Booke of Enoch cited by S. Iude in his Epistle and some other such ancient Books as that were never received into the body of Canonicall Scriptures Vt in Authoritate apud nos non essent nimia fecit eorum Antiquitas The Church suspected them because they were too Ancient sayes S. Augustine But that reason alone is so far from being enough to exclude any thing from being part of the Scriptures as that we make it justly an argument for the receiving the Titles of the Psalmes into the Body of Canonicall Scriptures that they are as ancient as the Psalmes themselves So then the Title of this Psalme enters into our Text as a part of the first verse And the Title is Davidis Erudiens where we need not insert as our Translators in all languages and Editions have conceived a necessity to do any word for the cleering of the Text more then is in the Text it selfe And therefore Tremellius hath inserted that word An Ode of David we A Psalme of David others others for the words themselves yeeld a perfect sense in themselves Le David Maschil is Davidis Erudiens that is Davidis Eruditio Davids Institution Davids Catechisme And so our Text which is the first and second verse taking in all the first verse in all accounts is now Davids Catechisme Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven c. In these words Divisio our parts shall be these first That so great a Master as David proceeded by way of Catechisme of instruction in fundamentall things and Doctrines of edification Secondly That the foundation of this Building the first lesson in this Art the first letter in this Alphabet is Blessednesse for Primus actus voluntatis est Amor Man is not man till he have produced some acts of the faculties of that soule that makes him man till he understand something and will something Till he know and till he would have something he is no man Now The first Act of the will is love and no man can love any thing but in the likenesse and in the notion of Happinesse of Blessednesse or of some degree thereof and therefore David proposes that for the foundation of his Catechisme Blessednesse The Catechisme of David Blessed is the Man But then in a third Consideration we lay hold upon S. Augustins Aphorisme Amare nisi nota non possumus We cannot truly love any thing but that we know And therefore David being to proceede Catechistically and for Instruction proposes this Blessednesse which as it is in Heaven and reserved for our possession there is in-intelligible as Tertullian speaks unconceivable he purposes it in such notions and by such lights as may enable us to see it and know it in this life And those lights are in this Text Three for The forgivenesse of Transgressions And then The Covering of sinnes And lastly The not imputing of Iniquity which three David proposes here are not a threefold repeating of one and the same thing But this Blessednesse consisting in our Reconciliation to God for we were created in a state of friendship with God our rebellion put us into a state of hostility and now we need a Reconciliation because we are not able to maintaine a war against God no nor against any other enemy of man without God this Blessednesse David doth not deliver us all at once in three expressings of the same thing but he gives us one light thereof in the knowledge that there is a Forgiving of Transgressions another in the Covering of sinnes and a third in the not Imputing of Iniquity But then that which will constitute a fourth Consideration when God hath presented himselfe and offered his peace in all these there is also something to be done on our part for though the Forgiving of Transgression The Covering of sinne The not Imputing of Iniquity proceed onely from God yet God affords these to none but him In whose spirit there is no guile And
last motive Iosh 7.19 must be the glory of God Therefore Ioshuah sayes to Achan My Son give I pray thee glory unto the Lord God of Israel and make Confession unto him Now the glory of God arises not out of the Confessing but because every true Confessing is accompanied with a detestation of the sin as it hath separated me from God and a sense of my re-union and redintegration with God in the abjuration of my former sins for to tell my sin by way of a good tale or by boasting in it though it be a revealing a manifesting is not a Confession in every true confession God hath glory because he hath a straid soule re-united to his Kingdome And to advance this Glory David confesses Peccata sins which is our next Consideration I said I will confesse my sins unto the Lord. First he resents his state All is not well Then he examines himselfe Peccata vera Thus and thus it stands with me Then he considers then he resolves then he executes He confesses so far we are gone and now he confesses sins For the Pharisees though he pretended a Confession was rather an exprobration how much God had beene beholden to him for his Sabbaths for his Almes for his Tithes for his Fasting David confesses sins first such things as were truly sins For as the element of Ayre that lyes betweene the Water and the Fire is sometimes condensed into water sometimes rarified into fire So lyes the conscience of man betweene two operations of the Devill sometimes he rarifies it evaporates it that it apprehends nothing feeles nothing to be sin sometimes he condenses it that every thing falls and sticks upon it in the nature and takes the waight of sin and he mis-interprets the indifferent actions of others and of his owne and destroyes all use of Christian liberty all conversation all recreation and out of a false feare of being undutifull to God is unjust to all the world and to his owne soule and consequently to God himselfe who of all notions would not be received in the notion of a Cruell or Tyrannicall God In an obdurate conscience that feeles no sin the Devill glories most but in the over-tender conscience he practises most That is his triumphant but this is his militant Church That is his Sabbath but this is his six dayes labour In the obdurate he hath induced a security in the scriptures which the Holy Ghost hath exprest in so many names as Sin Sin Wickednesse Iniquity Transgressions Offences Many many more And all this that thereby we might reflect upon our selves often and see if our particular actions fell not under some of those names But then lest this should over-intimidate us there are as many names given by the Holy Ghost to the Law of God Law Statutes Ordinances Covenants Testimony Precept and all the rest of which there is some one at least repeated in every verse of the hundred and nineteenth Psalme that thereby we might still have a Rule to measure and try our actions by whether they be sins or no. For as the Apostle sayes He had not knowne sinne if he had not knowne the Law So there had beene no sin if there had beene no Law And therefore that soule that feeles it selfe oppressed under the burden of a Vow must have recourse to the Law of God and see whether that Vow fall under the Rule of that Law For as an over-tender conscience may call things sins that are not and so be afraid of things that never were so may it also of things that were but are not now of such sins as were truly sins and fearfull sins but are now dead dead by a true repentance and buried in the Sea of the blood of Christ Jesus and sealed up in that Monument under the seale of Reconciliation the blessed Sacrament and yet rise sometimes in this tender conscience in a suspition and jealousie that God hath not truly not fully forgiven them And as a Ghost which we thinke we see afrights us more then an army that we doe see So these apparitions of sins of things that are not against any Law of God and so are not sins or sins that are dead in a true repentance and so have no being at all by the Devils practise worke dangerously upon a distempered conscience for as God hath given the Soule an Imagination and a Fancy as well as an Understanding So the Devill imprints in the conscience a false Imagination as well as a fearefull sense of true sin David confesses sins sins that were truly sins But the more ordinary danger is Omniae in our not calling those things which are truly sins by that name For as sometimes when the Baptisme of a Child is deferred for State the Child dyes unbaptized So the sinner defers the Baptisme of his sin in his teares and in the blood of his Saviour offered in the blessed Sacrament till he dye namelesse namelesse in the booke of Life It is a Character that one of the ancientest Poets gives of a well-bred and well-governed Gentleman That he would not tell such lyes as were like truths not probable lyes nor such truths as were like lyes not wonderfull not incredible truths It is the constancy of a rectified Christian not to call his indifferent actions sins for that is to slander God as a cruell God nor to call sins indifferent actions for that is to undervalue God as a negligent God God doth not keepe the Conscience of man upon the wrack in a continuall torture and stretching But God doth not stupifie the conscience with an Opiate in an insensiblenesse of any sin The law of God is the balance and the Criterium By that try thine actions and then confesse David did so Peccata he confessed sinnes nothing that was not so as such neither omitted he any thing that was so And then they were Peccata sua His sins I said I will confesse my sins unto the Lord. First Sua. Sua His sinnes that is à se perpetrata sins which he confesses to have been of his voluntary committing He might and did not avoyd them When Adam said by way of alienation and transferring his fault The woman whom thou gavest me And the woman said Gen. 3.12 The Serpent deceived me God tooke this by way of Information to finde out the Principall but not by way of extenuation or alleviation of their faults Every Adam eats with as much sweat of his browes and every Eve brings forth her Children with as much paine in her travaile as if there had been no Serpent in the case If a man sin against God who shall plead for him If a man lay his sins upon the Serpent upon the Devill it is no plea but if he lay them upon God it is blasphemy Iob finds some ground of a pious Expostulation with God in that My flesh is not brasse nor my strength stones And such as I am thou hast made me
but Himselfe so as if they be lost he is lost How long will a Medall a piece of Coine lie in the water before the stampe be washed off and yet how soone is the Image of God of his patience his longanimity defaced in us by every billow every affliction But for the Saints of God it shall not be so Surely it shall not They shall stand against the waters Psal 11 43. And the Sea shall see it and fly and Iordan shall be turned backe And the world shall say What ayled thee O Sea that thou fleddest O Iordan that thou turnedst back For they that know not the power of the Almighty though they envy yet shall wonder and stand amazed at the deliverance of the righteous Sto pulso sayes God of himselfe I stand at the doore and knocke Rev. 3.22 God will not breake open doores to give thee a blessing as well as he loves thee and as well as he loves it but will have thee open to him much more will he keepe Tentations at the doore They shall not breake in upon thee except thou open This then was that which David elsewhere apprehended with feare The sorrowes of the grave compassed me about Psal 1â— 5. and the snares of death overtooke mee Here they were neare him but no worse Psal 69 15. This is that that hee prayes deliverance from Let not the water flood drowne mee neither let the deepe swallow me up And this is that God assures us all that are his Isâ—y 43.2 When thou passest through the waters I will bee with thee and through the floods that they doe not overflow thee Maintaine therefore a holy patience in all Gods visitations Accept your waters though they come in teares for hee that sends them Christ Jesus had his flood his inundation in Blood and whatsoever thou sufferest from him thou sufferest for him and glorifiest him in that constancy Upon those words Tres sunt There are three that beare witnesse That Spirit and water and blood Bernard S. Bernard taking water there by way of allusion for affliction saith Though the Spirit were witnesse enough without water or blood yet Vix aut nunquam inveniri arbitror Spiritum sine aqua sanguine we lack one of the seales of the Spirit if we lack Gods corrections We consider three waters in our blessed Saviour He wept over Jerusalem Doe thou so over thy finfull soule He sweat in the garden Doe thou so too in eating thy bread in the sweat of thy browes in labouring fincerely in thy Calling And then hee sent water and blood out of his side Argust being dead which was fons utriusque Sacramenti the spring head of both Sacraments Doe thou also refresh in thy soule the dignity which thou receivedst in the first Sacrament of Baptisme and thereby come worthily to the participation of the second and therein the holy Ghost shall give thee the seale of that security which he tenders to thee in this Text Non approximabunt How great water floods soever come they shall not come nigh thee not nigh that which is Thou that is thy faith thy soule and though it may swallow that by which thou art a man thy life it shall not shake that by which thou art a Christian thy Religion Amen SERM. LX. Preached upon the Penitentiall Psalmes PSAL. 32.7 Thou art my hiding place Thou shalt preserve mee from trouble Thou shalt compasse me about with songs of deliverance AS Rhetorique is said to bee a fist extended and displayed into an open Hand And Logique a Hand recollected and contracted into a fist So the Church of God may be said to be a soule dilated and diffused into many Congregations and a soule may be said to be the Church contracted and condensed into one bosome So not onely the Canticle of Solomon is taken indifferently by the ancient and later Expositors by some for an Epithalamion and marriage Song betweene Christ and his Church by others for the celebration of the same union between every Christian soule and him but also many other places of Scripture have received such an indifferent interpretation and are left in suspence whether they be to be understood of the Church in generall or of particular soules And of this nature and number is this Text Thou art my hiding place c. For S. Hierom takes these words and the whole Psalme to be spoken collectively others distributively He in the person of the Church Hieron They of every or at least of some particular soules To examine their reasons is unnecessary and would bee tedious It will aske lesse time and afford more profit to consider the words both wayes In them therefore considered twice over wee shall see a threefold state of the Christian Church and a threefold mercy exhibited by God to every Christian soule First we shall see the Church under the clouds in her low estate in her obscurity in her inglorious state of contempt and persecution and yet then supported by an assurance that God overshadowed her Tu absconsio Tu latibulum Thou art my hiding place And in that first part wee shall consider the state of a timorous soule a soule that for feare of tentations dares scarce looke into the world or embrace a profession Secondly we shall see the Church emancipated enfranchised unfettered unmanacled delivered from her obscure and inglorious state and brought to splendor and beauty and peace blessing God in that acknowledgement Thou shalt preserveme from trouble And in that part wee shall consider the state of that soule exalted to a holy confidence and assurance that though she come into the world and partake of the dangers thereof in opening herselfe to such tentations as do necessarily and inseparably accompany every calling yet the Lord will preserve her from trouble And thirdly and lastly we shall see a kinde of Triumphant state in the Church in this world a holy exultation God shall compasse her with songs of deliverance In which part we shall also see the blessed state of that soule which is come not to a presumptuous security but to modest certainty of continuing in the same state still And these will bee our three parts in these words as they receive a publike accommodation to the Church and a more particular application to our selves Wee enter into these considerations with this observation 1 Part. That as God himselfe is eternall and cannot bee considered in the distinction of times so hath that language in which God hath spoken in his written word the Hebrew the least consideration of Time of any other language Evermore in expressing the mercies of God to man it is an indifferent thing to the holy Ghost whether he speak in the present or in the future or in the time that is past what mercies soever he hath given us he will give us over againe And whatsoever he hath done and will doe hee is alwayes ready to doe at
had been well if Bathsheba had bathed within doores and with more caution but yet these errors alone we should not be apt to condemne in such persons except by Gods permitting greater sins to follow upon these we were taught that even such things as seeme to us in their nature to be indifferent have degrees of naturall and essentiall ill in them which must be avoyded even in the probability nay even in the possibility that they may produce sin And as from this Example we draw that Conclusion That sins which are but the Children of indifferent actions become the Parents of great sins which is the industry of sin to exalt it selfe and as it were ennoble it selfe above the stocke from which it was derived The next sin will needs be a better sin then the last So have we also from David this Conclusion that this generation of sin is infinite infinite in number infinite in duration So infinite both waies as that Luther who seldome checks himselfe in any vehement expression could not forbeare to say Si Nathan non venisset If Nathan had not come to David David had proceeded to the sin against the Holy Ghost O how impossible a thing is it then for us to condition and capitulate with God or with our owne Nature and say to him or to our selves We will sin thus long and no longer Thus far and no farther this sin and no more when not onely the frailty of man but even the justice of God provokes us though not as Author or cause of sin to commit more and more sins after wee have entangled and enwrapped our selves in former Who can doubt but that in this yeares space in which David continued in his sin but that he did ordinarily all the externall acts of the religious Worship of God who can doubt but that he performed all the Legall Sacrifices and all the Ceremoniall Rites Yea we see that when Nathan put Davids case in another name of a rich man that had taken away a poore mans onely sheepe David was not onely just but he was vehement in the execution of Justice Hee was saies the text exceeding wroth and said As the Lord liveth that man shall dye But yet for all this externall Religion for all this Civill justice in matter of government no mention of any repentance in all this time How little a thing then is it nay how great a thing that is how great an aggravating of thy sin if thou thinke to bribe God with a Sabboth or with an almes And as a criminall person would faine come to Sanctuary not because it is a consecrated place but because it rescues him from the Magistrate So thou comest to Chuch not because God is here but that thy being here may redeeme thee from the imputation of prophanenesse At last Nathan came David did not send for him but God sent him But yet David laid hold upon Gods purpose in him And he confesses to God he confesses to the Prophet he confesses to the whole Church for before he pleads for mercy in the body of the Psalme in the title of the Psalme which is as Canonicall Scripture as the Psalme it selfe hee confesses himselfe plainly A Psalme of David when the Prophet Nathan came to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba Audiunt male viventes quaerunt sibi patrocinia peccandi Wee heare of Davids sin August and wee justifie our sins by him Si David cur non ego If David went in to a Bathsheba why may not I That Father tels you why Qui facit quia David fecit id facit quod David non fecit He that does that because David did it does not doe that which David did Quia nullum exemplum proposuit For David did not justifie his sin by any precedent example So that he that sins as David did yet sins worse then David did and hee that continues as unsensible of his sin as David was is more unsensible then David was Quia ad te mittitur ipse David For God sends Nathan to thee August with David in his hand He sends you the Receit his invitations to Repentance in his Scriptures and he sends you a Probatum est a personall testimony how this Physicke hath wrought upon another upon David And so having in this first Part which is the Consideration of the persons in our Text God and David brought them by Nathans mediation together consider wee also for a conclusion of this Part the personall applications that David scatters himselfe upon none but God Tu me and hee repeats it doe Thou purge mee doe Thou wash mee Damascen hath a Sermon of the Assumption of the blessed Virgin which whole Sermon is but a Dialogue in which Eve acts the first part and the blessed Virgin another Tu. It is but a Dialogue yet it is a Sermon If I should insist upon this Dialogue between God and David Tu me Tu me Doe thou worke upon me it would not be the lesse a profitable part of a Sermon for that For first when we heare David in an anhelation and panting after the mercy of God cry out Domine Tu Lord doe thou that that is to be done doe Thou purge doe Thou wash and may have heard God thereby to excite us to the use of his meanes say Purget natura purget lex I have infused into thee a light and a law of nature and exalted that light and that law by a more particular law and a clearer light then that by which thou knowest what is sin and knowest that in a sinfull state thou canst not be acceptable to me Purget natura purget lex let the light of nature or of the law purge thee and rectifie thy selfe by that Doe but as much for thy selfe as some naturall men some Socrates some Plato hath done we may heare David reply Domine Tu Lord put me not over to the catechizing of Nature nor to the Pedagogie of the Law but take me into thine owne hands do Thou Thou that is to be done upon me When we heare God say Purget Ecclesia I have established a Church settled constant Ordinances for the purging and washing of souls there Purget Ecclesia Let the Church purge thee we may heare David reply Domine Tu Alas Lord how many come to that Bath and goe foule out of it how many heare Sermons and receive Sacraments and when they returne returne to their vomit Domine Tu Lord except the power of thy Spirit make thine Ordinance effectuall upon me even this thy Jordan will leave me in my leprosie and exalt my leprosie even this Sermon this Sacrament will aggravate my sin If we heare God say Shall I purge thee Doest thou know what thou askest what my method in purging is That if I purge I shall purge thee with fire with seaven fires with tribulations nay with tentations with temporall nay with spirituall calamities with wounds in thy fortune wounds
of man do not become the servants and instruments of that Grace Let all that we all seeke be who may glorifie God most and we shall agree in this That as the Pelagian wounds the glory of God deepely in making Naturall faculties joynt-Commissioners with Grace so do they diminish the glory of God too if any deny naturall faculties to be the subordinate servants and instruments of Grace for as Grace could not worke upon man to Salvation if man had not a faculty of will to worke upon because without that will man were not man so is this Salvation wrought in the will by conforming this will of man to the will of God not by extinguishing the will it selfe by any force or constraint that God imprints in it by his Grace God saves no man without or against his will Glory be to God on high and on earth Peace and Good will towards men And to this God of Glory the Father and this God of Peace and reconciliation the Son and this God of Good will and love amongst men the Holy Ghost be ascribed all praise c. PREBEND SERMONS Preached at St. PAULS The first of the Prebend of Cheswicks five Psalmes which five are appointed for that Prebend as there are five other for every other of our thirty Prebendaries SERM. LXV Preached at S. Pauls May 8. 1625. PSAL. 62.9 Surely men of low degree are vanity and men of high degree are a lie To bee laid in the balance they are altogether lighter then vanity WE consider the dignity of the Booke of Psalmes either in the whole body together or in the particular limmes and distribution thereof Of the whole Body Basil it may be enough to tell you that which S. Basil saith That if all the other bookes of Scripture could perish there remained enough in the booke of Psalmes for the supply of all And therefore he cals it Amuletum ad profligandum daemonem Any Psalme is Exorcisme enough to expell any Devill Charme enough to remove any tentation Enchantment enough to ease nay to sweeten any tribulation It is abundantly enough that our Saviour Christ himselfe cites the Psalmes not onely as Canonicall Scripture but as a particular and entire and noble limme of that Body All must be fulfilled of me saith he which is written in the Law Luk. 24.44 in the Prophets and in the Psalmes The Law alone was the Sadduces Scripture they received no more The Law and the Prophets were especially the Scribes Scripture they interpreted that The Christians Scripture in the Old Testament is especially the Psalmes For except the Prophecy of Esay be admitted into the comparison no booke of the Old Testament is so like a Gospel so particular in all things concerning Christ as the Psalmes So hath the Booke of Psalmes an especiall dignity in the intire Body all together It hath so also in divers distributions thereof into parts For even amongst the Jewes themselves those fifteen Psalmes which follow immediatly and successively after the 119. Psalme were especially distinguished and dignified by the name of Graduall Psalmes Whether because they were sung upon the Degrees and staires ascending to the Altar Or because hee that read them in the Temple ascended into a higher and more eminent place to reade them Or because the word Graduall implies a degree of excellency in the Psalmes themselves I dispute not But a difference those fifteen Psalmes ever had above the rest in the Jewish and in the Christian Church too So also hath there beene a particular dignity ascribed to those seven Psalmes which we have ever called the Penitentiall Psalmes Of which S. Augustine had so much respect August as that he commanded them to be written in a great Letter and hung about the curtaines of his Death-bed within that hee might give up the ghost in contemplation and meditation of those seven Psalmes And it hath beene traditionally received and recommended by good Authors that that Hymne Matt. 26.30 which Christ and his Apostles are said to have sung after the Institution and celebration of the Sacrament was a Hymne composed of those six Psalmes which we call the Allelujah Psalmes immediatly preceding the hundred and nineteenth So then in the whole Body and in some particular limmes of the Body the Church of God hath had an especiall consideration of the booke of Psalmes This Church in which we all stand now and in which my selfe by particular obligation serve hath done so too In this Church by ancient Constitutions it is ordained That the whole booke of Psalmes should every day day by day bee rehearsed by us who make the Body of this Church in the eares of Almighty God And therefore every Prebendary of this Church is by those Constitutions bound every day to praise God in those five Psalmes which are appointed for his Prebend And of those five Psalmes which belong to mee this out of which I have read you this Text is the first And by Gods grace upon like occasions I shall here handle some part of every one of the other foure Psalmes for some testimony that those my five Psalmes returne often into my meditation which I also assure my selfe of the rest of my brethren who are under the same obligation in this Church For this whole Psalme Psalmus integer which is under our present consideration as Athanasius amongst all the Fathers was most curious and most particular and exquisite in observing the purpose and use of every particular Psalm for to that purpose he goes through them all in this maner If thou wilt encourage men to a love and pursuit of goodnesse say the first Psalme and 31. and 140 c. If thou wilt convince the Jewes say the second Psalme If thou wilt praise God for things past say this and this And this and this if thou wilt pray for future things so for this Psalme which we have in hand he observes in it a summary abridgement of all For of this Psalme he sayes in generall Adversus insidiantes Against all attempts upon thy body thy state thy soule thy fame tentations tribulations machinations defamations say this Psalme As he saith before that in the booke of Psalmes every man may discerne motus animi sui his owne finfull inclinations expressed and arme himselfe against himselfe so in this Psalme he may arme himselfe against all other adversaries of any kinde And therefore as the same Father entitles one Sermon of his Contr a omnes haereses A Sermon for the convincing of all Heresies in which short Sermon he meddles not much with particular heresies but onely establishes the truth of Christs Person in both natures which is indeed enough against all Heresies and in which that is the consubstantiality of Christ with the Father God of God this Father Athanasius hath enlarged himselfe more then the rest insomuch that those heretiques which grow so fast in these our dayes The Socinians who deny the Godhead of Christ
If thou desire revenge upon thine enemies as they are Gods enemies That God would bee pleased to remove and root out all such as oppose him that Affection appertaines to Glory Let that alone till thou come to the Hemisphear of Glory There joyne with those Martyrs under the Altar Revel 6.10 Vsquequo Domine How long O Lord dost thou deferre Judgement and thou shalt have thine answere there for that Whilst thou art here here joyne with David and the other Saints of God in that holy increpation of a dangerous sadnesse Why art thou cast downe O my soule why art thou disquieted in mee That soule that is dissected and anatomized to God Psal 42.5 in a sincere confession washed in the teares of true contrition embalmed in the blood of reconciliation the blood of Christ Jesus can assigne no reason can give no just answer to that Interrogatory Why art thou cast downe O my soule why art thou disquieted in me No man is so little as that he can be lost under these wings no man so great as that they cannot reach to him Semper ille major est August quantumcumque creverimus To what temporall to what spirituall greatnesse soever wee grow still pray wee him to shadow us under his Wings for the poore need those wings against oppression and the rich against envy The Holy Ghost who is a Dove shadowed the whole world under his wings Incubabat aquis He hovered over the waters he sate upon the waters and he hatched all that was produced and all that was produced so was good Be thou a Mother where the Holy Ghost would be a Father Conceive by him and be content that he produce joy in thy heart here First thinke that as a man must have some land or els he cannot be in wardship so a man must have some of the love of God or els he could not fall under Gods correction God would not give him his physick God would not study his cure if he cared not for him And then thinke also that if God afford thee the shadow of his wings that is Consolation respiration refreshing though not a present and plenary deliverance in thy afflictions not to thanke God is a murmuring and not to rejoyce in Gods wayes is an unthankfulnesse Howling is the noyse of hell singing the voyce of heaven Sadnesse the damp of Hell Rejoycing the serenity of Heaven And he that hath not this joy here lacks one of the best pieces of his evidence for the joyes of heaven and hath neglected or refused that Earnest by which God uses to binde his bargaine that true joy in this world shall flow into the joy of Heaven as a River flowes into the Sea This joy shall not be put out in death and a new joy kindled in me in Heaven But as my soule as soone as it is out of my body is in Heaven and does not stay for the possession of Heaven nor for the fruition of the sight of God till it be ascended through ayre and fire and Moone and Sun and Planets and Firmament to that place which we conceive to be Heaven but without the thousandth part of a minutes stop as soone as it issues is in a glorious light which is Heaven for all the way to Heaven is Heaven And as those Angels which came from Heaven hither bring Heaven with them and are in Heaven here So that soule that goes to Heaven meets Heaven here and as those Angels doe not devest Heaven by comming so these soules invest Heaven in their going As my soule shall not goe towards Heaven but goe by Heaven to Heaven to the Heaven of Heavens So the true joy of a good soule in this world is the very joy of Heaven and we goe thither not that being without joy we might have joy infused into us but that as Christ sayes Iohn 16.24.22 Our joy might be full perfected sealed with an everlastingnesse for as he promises That no man shall take our joy from us so neither shall Death it selfe take it away nor so much as interrupt it or discontinue it But as in the face of Death when he layes hold upon me and in the face of the Devill when he attempts me I shall see the face of God for every thing shall be a glasse to reflect God upon me so in the agonies of Death in the anguish of that dissolution in the sorrowes of that valediction in the irreversiblenesse of that transmigration I shall have a joy which shall no more evaporate then my soule shall evaporate A joy that shall passe up and put on a more glorious garment above and be joy super-invested in glory Amen SERM. LXVII The third of my Prebend Sermons upon my five Psalmes Preached at S. Pauls November 5. 1626. In Vesperis PSAL. 64.10 And all the upright in heart shall glory I Have had occasion to tell you more then once before that our Predecessors in the institution of the Service of this Church have declared such a reverence and such a devotion to this particular Booke of Scripture The Psalmes as that by distributing the hundred and fifty Psalmes of which number the body of this booke consists into thirty portions of which number the body of our Church consists and assigning to every one of those thirty persons his five Psalmes to bee said by him every day every day God receives from us howsoever wee be divided from one another in place the Sacrifice of Praise in the whole Booke of Psalmes And though we may be absent from this Quire yet wheresoever dispersed we make up a Quire in this Service of saying over all the Psalmes every day This sixty fourth Psalme is the third of my five And when according to the obligation which I had laid upon my selfe to handle in this place some portion of every one of these my five Psalmes in handling of those words of the Psalme immediately before this in the seventh verse Because thou hast beene my helpe therefore in the shadow of thy Wings I will rejoyce I told you that the next world Heaven was as this world is divided into two Hemispheares and that the two Hemispheares of Heaven were Joy and Glory for in those two notions of Joy and Glory is Heaven often represented unto us as in those words which we handled then wee sailed about the first Hemispheare That of Joy In the shadow of thy Wings will I rejoyce So in these which I have read to you now our voyage lies about the Hemispheare of Glory for All the upright in heart shall Glory As we said then of Joy we say of Glory now There is an inchoative joy here though the consummative joy be reserved for Heaven so is there also such a taste such an inchoation of glory in this life And as no man shall come to the joyes of Heaven that hath no joy in this world for there is no peace of conscience without this joy so no man
possesse immortality and impossibility of dying onely in a continuall dying when as a Cabinet whose key were lost must be broken up and torne in pieces before the Jewell that was laid up in it can be taken out so thy body the Cabinet of thy soule must be shaked and shivered by violent sicknesse before that soule can goe out And when it is thus gone out must answer for all the imperfections of that body which body polluted it And yet though this soule be such a loser by that body it is not perfectly well nor fully satisfied till it be reunited to that body againe when thou remembrest Mat. 26.36 and oh never forget it that Christ himselfe was heavy in his soule unto Death Mat. 26.39 That Christ himselfe came to a Si possibile If it be possible let this Cup passe That he came to a Quare dereliquisti Mat. 27.46 a bitter sense of Gods dereliction and forsaking of him when thou considerest all this compose thy selfe for death but thinke it not a light matter to dye Death made the Lyon of Judah to roare and doe not thou thinke that that which we call going away like a Lambe doth more testifie a conformity with Christ then a strong sense and bitter agony and colluctation with death doth Christ gave us the Rule in the Example He taught us what we should doe by his doing it And he pre-admitted a fearfull apprehension of death A Lambe is a Hieroglyphique of Patience but not of stupidity And death was Christs Consummatum est All ended in death yet he had sense of death How much more doth a sad sense of our transmigration belong to us to whom death is no Consummatum est but an In principio our account and our everlasting state begins but then Apud te propitiatio Psal 130.4 ut timearis In this knot we tie up all With thee there is mercy that thou mightest be feared There is a holy feare that does not onely consist with an assurance of mercy Pro. 21.15 but induces constitutes that assurance Pavor operantibus iniquitatem sayes Solomon Pavor horror and servile feare jealousie and suspition of God diffidence and distrust in his mercy and a bosome-prophecy of self-destruction Destruction it selfe so we translate it be upon the workers of iniquity Pavor operantibus iniquitatem And yet sayes that wise King Pro. 28.14 Beatus qui semper Pavidus Blessed is that man that alwayes fears who though he alwayes hope and beleeve the good that God will shew him yet also feares the evills that God might justly multiply upon him Blessed is he that looks upon God with assurance but upon himselfe with feare For though God have given us light by which we may see him even in Nature for He is the confidence of all the ends of the Earth and of them that are a far of upon the Sea Though God have given us a clearer light in the Law and experience of his providence upon his people throughout the Old Testament Though God have abundantly infinitely multiplied these lights and these helpes to us in the Christian Church where he is the God of salvation yet as he answers us by terrible things in that first acceptation of the words which I proposed to you that is Gives us assurances by miraculous testimonies in our behalfe that he will answer our patient expectation by terrible Judgements and Revenges upon our enemies In his Righteousnesse that is In his faithfulnesse according to his Promises and according to his performances of those Promises to his former people So in the words considered the other way In his Holinesse that is in his wayes of imprinting Holinesse in us He answers us by terrible things in all those particulars which we have presented unto you By infusing faith but with that terrible addition Damnabitur He that beleeveth not shall be damned He answers us by composing our manners and rectifying our life and conversation but with terrible additions of censures and Excommunications and tearings off from his own body which is a death to us and a wound to him He answers us by enabling us to speake to him in Prayer but with terrible additions for the matter for the manner for the measure of our Prayer which being neglected our very Prayer is turned to sin He answers us in Preaching but with that terrible commination that even his word may be the savor of death unto death He answers us in the Sacrament but with that terrible perplexity and distraction that he that seemes to be a Iohn or a Peter a Loving or a Beloved Disciple may be a Iudas and he that seems to have received the seale of his reconciliation may have eat and drunke his own Damnation And he answers us at the houre of death but with this terrible obligation That even then I make sure my salvation with feare and trembling That so we imagine not a God of wax whom we can melt and mold when and how we will That we make not the Church a Market That an over-homelines and familiarity with God in the acts of Religion bring us not to an irreverence nor indifferency of places But that as the Militant Church is the porch of the Triumphant so our reverence here may have some proportion to that reverence which is exhibited there Revel 4.10 where the Elders cast their Crownes before the Throne and continue in that holy and reverend acclamation Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honor and Power for as we may adde from this Text By terrible things O God of our salvation doest thou answer us in righteousnesse SERM. LXIX The fifth of my Prebend Sermons upon my five Psalmes Preached at S. Pauls PSAL. 66.3 Say unto God How terrible art thou in thy works Through the greatnesse of thy Power shall thine Enemies submit themselves unto thee IT is well said so well as that more then one of the Fathers seeme to have delighted themselves in having said it Titulus Clavis The Title of the Psalme is the Key of the Psalme the Title opens the whole Psalme The Church of Rome will needs keepe the Key of heaven and the key to that Key the Scriptures wrapped up in that Translation which in no case must be departed from There the key of this Psalm the Title thereof hath one bar wrested that is made otherwise then he that made the Key the Holy Ghost intended it And another bat inserted that is one clause added which the Holy Ghost added not Where we reade in the Title Victori To the chiefe Musician they reade In finem A Psalme directed upon the end I think they meane upon the later times because it is in a great part a Propheticall Psame of the calling of the Gentiles But after this change they also adde Resurrectionis A Psalme concerning the Resurrection and that is not in the Hebrew nor any thing in the place thereof And after one Author
distempers both theirs that think That there are other things to be beleeved then are in the Scriptures and theirs that think That there are some things in the Scriptures which are not to bee beleeved For when our Saviour sayes Si quo minus If it were not so I would have told you he intends both this proposition I have told you all that is necessary to be beleeved and this also All that I have told you is necessary to bee beleeved so as I have told it you So that this excludes both that imaginary insufficiency of the Scriptures which some have ventured to averre for God shall never call Christian to account for any thing not notified in the Scriptures And it excludes also those imaginary Dolos bonos and fraudes pias which some have adventured to averre too That God should use holy Illusions holy deceits holy frauds and circumventions in his Scriptures and not intend in them that which he pretends by them This is his Rule Si quo minus If it were not so I would have told you If I have not told you so it is not so and if I have it is so as I have told you And in these two branches we shall determine the first part The Rule of Doctrines the Scripture The second part which is the particular Doctrine which Christ administers to his Disciples here will also derive and cleave it selfe into two branches For first wee shall inquire whether this proposition in our Text In my Fathers house are many Mansions give any ground or assistance or countenance to that pious opinion of a disparity and difference of degrees of Glory in the Saints in heaven And then if we finde the words of this Text to conduce nothing to that Doctrine wee shall consider the right use of the true and naturall the native and genuine the direct and literall and uncontrovertible sense of the words because in them Christ doth not say that in his Fathers house there are Divers Mansions divers for seat or lights or fashion or furniture but onely that there are Many and in that notion the Plurality the Multipliciry lies the Consolation First then 1 Part. for the first branch of our first part The generall Rule of Doctrines our Saviour Christ in these words involves an argument That hee hath told them all that was necessary Hee hath because the Scripture hath for all the Scriptures which were written before Christ and after Christ were written by one and the same Spirit his Spirit It might then make a good Probleme why they of the Romane Church not affording to the Scriptures that dignity which belongs to them are yet so vehement and make so hard shift to bring the books of other Authors into the ranke and nature and dignity of being Scriptures What matter is it whether their Maccabees or their Tobies be Scripture or no what get their Maccabees or their Tobies by being Scripture if the Scripture be not full enough or not plaine enough to bring me to salvation But since their intention and purpose their aime and their end is to under-value the Scriptures that thereby they may over-value their owne Traditions their way to that end may bee to put the name of Scriptures upon books of a lower value that so the unworthinesse of those additionall books may cast a diminution upon the Canonicall books themselves when they are made all one as in some forraigne States we have seene that when the Prince had a purpose to erect some new Order of Honour he would disgrace the old Orders by conferring and bestowing them upon unworthy and incapable persons But why doe we charge the Roman Church with this undervaluing of the Scriptures when as they pretend and that cannot well be denied them That they ascribe to all the books of Scripture this dignity That all that is in them is true It is true they doe so But this may be true of other Authors also and yet those Authors remaine prophane and secular Authors All may be true that Livy sayes and all that our Chronicles say may be true and yet our Chronicles nor Livy become Gospell for so much they themselves will confesse and acknowledge that all that our Church sayes is true that our Church affirmes no error and yet our Church must be a hereticall Church if any Church at all for all that Indeed it is but a faint but an illusory evidence or witnesse that pretends to cleare a point if though it speake nothing but truth yet it does not speake all the truth The Scriptures are our evidence for life or death Iohn 5.39 Search the Scriptures sayes Christ for in them ye thinke ye have eternall life Where ye thinke so is not ye thinke so but mistake the matter but ye thinke so is ye thinke so upon a well-grounded and rectified faith and assurance Now if this evidence the Scripture shall acquit me in one Article in my beliefe in God for I doe finde in the Scripture as much as they require of me to beleeve of the Father Son and Holy Ghost And then this evidence the Scripture shall condemne me in another Article The Catholique Church for I doe not finde so much in the Scripture as they require me to beleeve of their Catholique Church If the Scripture be sufficient to save me in one and not in the rest this is not onely a defective but an illusory evidence which though it speake truth yet does not speake all the truth Fratres sumus quare litigamus sayes S. Augustine Wee are all Brethren by one Father one Almighty God and one Mother one Catholique Church and then why do we goe to Law together At least why doe we not bring our Suits to an end Non intestatus mortuus est Pater sayes he Our Father is dead for Deut. 32.30 Is not he your Father that bought you is Moses question he that bought us with himselfe his blood his life is not dead intestate but hath left his Will and Testament and why should not that Testament decide the cause Silent Advocati Suspensus est populus Legant verba testamenti This that Father notes to be the end in other causes why not in this That the Counsell give over pleading That the people give over murmuring That the Judge cals for the words of the Will by that governs and according to that establishes his Judgement I would at last contentious men would leave wrangling and people to whom those things belonged not leave blowing of coales and that the words of the Will might try the cause since he that made the Will hath made it thus cleare Si quo minus If it were not thus I would have told you If there were more to be added then this or more clearnesse to bee added to this I would have told you In the fift of Matthew Christ puts a great many cases what others had told them Mat. 5. but he tels them that is not
for the Super-soveraigne in that Church their transcendent and hyperbolicall supreme Head they will pretend to deduce out of the Scriptures But because the Scriptures are constant and limited and determined there can be no more Scriptures And they should be shrewdly prejudiced and shrewdly disadvantaged if all emergent cases arising in the Christian world must be judged by a Law which others may know before-hand as well as they Therefore being wise in their own generation they choose rather to lay up their Rule in a Cupboard then upon a Shelfe rather in Scrinio pectoris in the breast and bosome of one man then upon every deske in a study where every man may lay or whence every man may take a Bible Therefore have so many sad and sober men amongst them repented that in the Councell of Trent they came to a finall resolution in so many particulars because how incommodious soever some of those particulars may prove to them yet they are bound to some necessity of a defence or to some aspersion if they forsake such things as have been solemnly resolved in that manner Therefore it was a prudent and discreet abstinence in them to forbeare the determination of some things which have then and since falne into agitation amongst them Be pleased to take one in the Councell and one after for all Long time it had and then it did and still it doth perplex the Consciences of penitents that come to Confession and the understandings of Confessors who are to give Absolution how far the secular Lawes of temporall Princes binde the Conscience of the Subject and when and in what cases he is bound to confesse it as a sin who hath violated and transgressed any of those Lawes And herein sayes an Author of theirs who hath written learnedly De legibus Carbo of the hand and obligation of Lawes The Pope was solicited and supplicated from the Councell in which it was debated that he would be pleased to come to a Determination but because he saw it was more advantage to him to hold it undetermined that so he might serve others turnes and his own especially it remains undetermined and no Confessor is able to un-entangle the Conscience of his penitent yet So also in another point of as great consequence at least for the peace of the Church if not for the profit which is those differences which have arisen between the Jesuits and the Dominicans about the concurrence of the Grace of God and the free will of man Though both sides have come to that vehemence that violence that virulency as to call one anothers opinion hereticall which is a word that cuts deepe and should not be passionately used yet he will not be brought to a decision to a determination in the point but onely forbids both sides to write at all in that point and in that inhibition of his we see how he suffers himselfe to be deluded for still they write with protestation that they write not to advance either opinion but onely to prepare the way against such time as the Pope shall be pleased to take off that inhibition and restore them to their liberty of writing for this way hath one of their last Authors Arriba taken to vent himselfe In a word if they should submit themselves to try all points and cases of Conscience by Scripture that were to governe by a knowne and constant Law but as they have imagined a Monarchy in their Church so have they a prerogative in their Monarchy a secret judgement in one breast however he who gives them all their power make this protestation Si quo minus If it were not thus and thus I would have told you so So then this proposition in our Text falls first upon them who doe not beleeve All things to be contained in the Scriptures And it falls also upon them who doe not beleeve All persons to be intended in the Scriptures who seeme to be concerned therein The first sort dishonor God in his Scriptures in that kinde That there is not enough in the Scriptures for any mans salvation And the other in this kinde That that that is is not intended as it is pretended not in that largenesse and generality as it is proposed but that God hath set a little Diamond in a great deale of gold a narrow purpose in large promises and thereupon they impute to God in their manner of expressing themselves Dolos bonos and Fraudes pias holy deceits holy falshoods holy illusions and circumventions and over-good husbands of Gods large and bountifull Grace contract his generall promises I dispute not but I am glad to heare the Apostle say Rom. 5.14 That as all were dead so one dyed for all and to put the force of his argument there in that That except we can say That one dyed for all we cannot say that all were dead I argue not but I am glad to heare another Apostle say 1 Joh. 2.2 That Christ is the propitiation for the sinnes of all the world for if any man had been left out how should I have come in I am not exercised nor would I exercise these Auditories with curiosities but I heare the Apostle say Rom. 14.11 1 Cor. 8.11 Destroy not him with thy meat for whom Christ dyed And I heare him say Through thy knowledge may thy weake brother perish for whom Christ dyed and me thinks he meanes That though they might be destroyed though they might perish yet Christ dyed for them Onely to deliver God from all aspersions and to defend particular Consciences from being scandalized with dangerous phrases and in a pious detestation of those impious Doli and Fraudes holy deceits holy falshoods I onely say God forbid that when our Saviour Christ called the Pharisee hypocrite that Pharisee should have been able to recriminate that upon Christ and to have said So are you for you pretend to offer salvation where you meane it not God forbid that when Christ had made that the mark of a true Israelite in the person of Nathaniel In quo non est dolus In whom there is no deceit Joh. 1.47 any man should have been able to have said to Christ Then Nathaniel is a better Israelite then you for you pretend to offer salvation where you meane it not Psal 35.3 David hath joyned those two words together The words of their mouth are Iniquity and Deceit If there be Deceit there is Iniquity too Our Saviour hath joyned all these together Mar. 7.22 Adulteries Murders Blasphemies and Deceit where there is Deceit all mischiefe is justly presumed The Apostle S. Paul discharges himselfe of nothing with more earnestnesse then that 2 Cor. 12.16 Acts 13.10 Have I deceived you have I circumvented you with fraud Neither doth he charge him whom he calls The childe of the Devill Elymas the sorcerer farther then so O plene omni dolo That he was full of all Deceit And therefore they that
thinke to gild and enamell deceit and falshood with the additions of good deceit good falshood before they will make deceit good will make God bad For even in the Law an action De Dolo will not lie against a Father nor against a Master and shall we emplead God De Dolo In the last forraine Synod which our Divines assisted with what a blessed sobriety they delivered their sentence Art 2. ad Thes 3. That all men are truly and in earnest called to eternall life by Gods Minister And that whatsoever is promised or offered out of the Gospel by the Minister is to the same men and in the same manner promised and offered by the Author of the Gospel by God himselfe They knew whose breasts they had sucked and that that Church Art 〈◊〉 our Church had declared That we must receive Gods promises so as they be generally set forth to us in the Scriptures And that for our actions and manners for our life and conversation we follow that will of God which is expresly declared to us in his Word And that is That conditionall salvation is so far offered to every man as that no man may preclude himselfe from a possibility of such a performance of those Conditions which God requires at his hands as God will accept at his hands if either he doe sincerely endevour the performing or sincerely repent the not performing of them For all this is fayrly implyed in this proposition Si quo minus If it were not so I would have told you That all that is necessary to salvation is comprehended in the Scriptures which was our first branch And then That all that is in the Scriptures is intended so as it is proposed which was our second And these two constitute our first part The generall Rule of Doctrines and farther we enlarge not that part but descend to the other The particular Doctrine which Christ gives to his Disciples in the other Proposition In domo patris In my Fathers house there are many Mansions This second part 2 Part. you may also be pleased to remember derives it selfe into two branches first to inquire whether this proposition assist that Doctrine of Disparity and Degrees of Glory in the Saints in heaven And then the right use which is to be made of the right sense of these words In domo patris In my Fathers house there are many Mansions The occasion of the words will be the foundation of all Our Saviour Christ had said to his Disciples in the Chapter before Ver. 33. That he was to stay with them but a little while That when he was gone they should seeke him and not finde him And that whither he went they could not follow And when upon that Peter who was alwayes forwardest Ver. 36. and soonest scandalized had pressed him with that question Lord whither goest thou and received that answer whither I goe thou canst not follow me now but hereafter thou shalt follow me lest the rest of the Disciples who were troubled with that which was formerly said should be more affected with this to heare that Peter should come whither none of them might to establish them all as well as Peter he sayes to them all in the first verse of this Chapter Let not your hearts be troubled for And here enters this proposition of our Text for their generall establishment In my Fathers house are many Mansions So that that these are words of Consolation is certaine but whether the consolation be placed in the disparity and difference of degrees of Glory in Heaven or no is not so certaine That there are degrees of Glory in the Saints in heaven scarce any ever denied Non negatur Heaven is a Kingdome and Christ a King and a popular parity agrees not with that State with a Monarchy Heaven is a Church and Christ a High-Priest and such a parity agrees as ill with the Triumphant as with the Militant Church In the Primitive Church Iovinian denied this difference and degrees of glory and S. Hierome was so incensed so inflamed for this as if foundations had beene shaken and the common cause endangered Indeed it was thus farre the common cause that all the Fathers followed this chase if wee may use that Metaphor and were never at a default No one of the Fathers whom I have observed to touch upon this point did ever deny this difference of degrees of Glory And therefore as in the Primitive Church when that one man Iovinian came to deny it S. Hierome was vehement upon him so when in the Reformation one man for I never found more then that one one Schoufeldius denies it too I wonder the lesse Gerard. that another of the Reformation also growes somewhat sharpe towards him We deny not then this difference of degrees of glory in Heaven But that frame Modus in Eccles Rom. negatur and that scale of these degrees which they have set up in the Romane Church we do deny We must continue and returne often to that complaint against them That they shake and endanger things neere foundations by their enormous super-edifications by their incommodious upper-buildings That many things which might bee well enough accepted and would bee agreed by all become justly suspicious and really dangerous to the Church by their manifold consequences which they super-induce upon them That many things which in the sincerity of their beginning and institution were pious and conduced to the exaltation of Devotion by their additions are become impious and destroy Devotion so farre as to divert it upon a wrong object In this point which we have in hand it is so In these degrees of glory in Heaven That Church which treads all soveraigne Crownes in this world under her feet pretends to impart and distribute Crownes in Heaven also of her owne making Wee find Coronam auream a Crowne of gold upon the head of that Sonne of Man who is also the Sonne of God Christ Jesus Revel 14.14 in the Revelation And wee find Coronas aureas particular Crownes of gold upon the heads of all the Saints that stand about the Throne in the same Booke And these Crownes upon the Saints are the emanations and effluences of that Crowne which is upon Christ The glory of the Saints is the communication of his glory But then because in their Translation in the vulgat Edition of the Roman Church Exod. 25.25 they find in Exodus that word Aureolam Facies Coronam aureolam Thou shalt make a lesser Crowne of gold out of this diminutive and mistaken word they have established a Doctrine that besides those Coronae aureae Those Crownes of gold which are communicated to all the Saints from the Crown of Christ some Saints have made to themselves and produced out of their owne extraordinary merits certaine Aureolas certaine lesser Crownes of their own whereas indeed the word in the Originall in that place of Exodus is Zer zehab
which is a Crowne of gold without any intimation of any such lesser crownes growing out of themselves This then is their new Alchymy that whereas old Alchymists pretend to make gold of courser Metals these will make it of Nothing Out of a supposititious word which is not in the Text they have hammered and beat out these Aureolas these lesser crownes And these Aureolaes they ascribe onely to three sorts of persons to Virgins to Martyrs to Doctors Are then all the other Saints without Crowns They must make shift with that beame which they have from the Crowne of Christ for for these additionall crownes proceeding from themselves they have none And yet say they there are Saints which have some additions growing out of themselves though not Aureolas little crownes and those they call Fructus peculiar fruits growing out of themselves And for these fruits they distraine upon that place of Matthew where Christ saith Matt. 13.6 That some brought forth fruit a hundred fold some sixty and some thirty And the greater measure they ascribe to Virgins the sixty to Widowes and the thirty to Maried persons but onely such maried persons as have lived continently in mariage So then to make this Riddle of theirs as plaine as the matter will admit They place salvation it selfe Blessednesse it selfe if a man will be content with that in that union with God which is common to all the Saints But then they conceive certaine Dotes as they call them certaine dispositions in this life by which some have made themselves fitter to be united to God in a nearer distance then an ordinary Saint And these Dotes these endowments and dispositions here produce those Aureolas and those Fructus those lesser crownes and those measures of fruits which are a particular Joy not that they are united to God for so every Saint is but that they had those Dotes those dispositions to take that particular way of being united to God The way of Virginity the way of Martydome and the way of Preaching for by this they become Sancti Majores as they call them Saints in favor Saints in office and fitter to receive our petitions and mediate between God and us then those whom they call Mediocres and Inferiores Saints of a middle forme or of an inferiour ranke Yet these are so farre provided for by them too that wee must pray also to these Inferiour Saints either because I may have had a more particular interest in this life in that Saint then in a greater and so the readinesse and the assiduity of that Saint may recompence his want of power Or else Ad tollendum fastidium lest a great Saint should grow weary of me if I trouble him every day and for every trifle in heaven And some other such reasons it pleases them to assigne why though some Saints have more power with God then others yet we are bound to pray to all And thus they play with Divinity as though after they had troubled all States with politicall Divinity with their Bulls and Breves of Rebus sic stantibus That as long as things stood thus this should be Catholique Doctrine and otherwise when otherwise And in this politicall Divinity Machiavel is their Pope And after they had perplexed understandings with Philosophicall Divinity in the Schoole and in that Divinity Aristotle is their Pope They thought themselves in courtesie or conscience bound to recreate the world with Poeticall Divinity with such a Heaven and such a Hell as would stand in their Verses and in this Divinity Virgill is their Pope And so as Melancthon said when he furthered the Edition of the Alcoran that hee would have it printed Vt videamus quale poema sit That the world might see what a piece of Poetry the Alcoran was So I have stopped upon this point that you might see what a piece of Poetry they have made of this Problematicall point of Divinity The disparity and degrees of Glory in the Saints in Heaven Be this then thus settled Non liquet ex Scripturis In the matter The difference of degrees of Glory we will not differ In the manner we would not differ so as to induce a Schisme if they would handle such points Problematically and no farther But when upon matter of fact they will induce matter of faith when they will extend Problematicall Divinity to Dogmaticall when they will argue and conclude thus It may be thus therefore it must be thus A man may be saved though he beleeve this therefore he cannot be saved except hee beleeve this when in this point in hand out of our acknowledgement of these degrees of Glory in the Saints they will establish the Doctrine of Merits and of Invocation of Saints then wee must necessarily call them to the Rule of all Doctrines the Scriptures When they tell us Historically and upon a Historicall Obligation and for a Historicall certitude that Peter was at Rome and that hee was Bishop of Rome we are not so froward as to deny them that But when upon his Historicall and personall being at Rome they will build that mother Article of an universall Supremacy over all the Church then we must necessarily call them to the Rule to the Scriptures and to require them to prove both his being there and his being Bishop there by the Scriptures and either of these would trouble them As it would trouble them in our present case to assigne evident places of Scripture for these degrees of Glory in the Saints of Heaven For though we be far from denying the Consentaneum est That it is reasonable it should be and likely it is so and farre from denying the Piè creditur That it may advance Devotion and exalt Industry to beleeve that it is so Though we acknowledge a possibility a probability a very similitude a very truth and thus farre a necessary truth that our endevours may flagge and slacken except we doe embrace that helpe that there are degrees of Glory in Heaven yet if wee shall presse for places of Scriptures so evident as must constitute an Article of faith there are perchance none to be found to which very learned and very reverend Expositors have not given convenient Interpretations without inducing any such necessity At least Minus ex hee Taxtu however other places of Scripture may seeme to contribute more this proposition of our text In my Fathers house are many mansions though it have beene applyed to the proofe of that hath no inclination no inclinablenesse that way For in this text our Saviour applies himselfe to his Disciples in that wherein they needed comfort That Christ would go away That they might not goe too That Peter had got a Non-obstante He might and they might not and Christ gives them that comfort that all might In my Fathers house are many mansions 1 Tim. 3.16 When the Apostle presents a great part of our Christian Religion together so as that he cals
it a Mysterie and a great mysterie yet he cals it a mysterie without controversie Without controversie great is the mysterie of God manifested in the flesh justified in the Spirit preached to the Gentiles beleeved in the world received into glory When he presents matter of consolation he would have it without controversie To establish a disconsolate soule there is alwaies Divinity enough that was never drawne into Controversie I would pray I finde the Spirit of God to dispose my heart and my tongue and mine eyes and hands and knees to pray Doe I doubt to whom I should pray To God or to the Saints That prayer to God alone was sufficient was never drawne into controversie I would have something to rely and settle and establish my assurance upon Doe I doubt whether upon Christ or mine owne or others merits That to rely upon Christ alone was sufficient was never drawne into Controversie At this time Christ disposed himselfe to comfort his Disciples in that wherein they needed comfort now their discomfort and their feare lay not in this whether there were different degrees of glory in Heaven but their feare was that Christ being gone and having taken Peter and none but him there should be no roome for them and thereupon Christ sayes Let not that trouble you for In my Fathers house are many mansions And so we have done with the former branch of this last part That it is piously done to beleeve these degrees of glory in Heaven That they have inconsiderately extended this probleme in the Roman Church That no Scriptures are so evident as to induce a necessity in it That this Scripture conduces not at all to it and therefore we passe to our last Consideration The right use of the right sense of these words First then Christ proposes in these words Consolation A worke Consolatio then which none is more divine nor more proper to God nor to those instruments whom he sends to worke upon the soules and consciences of others Who but my selfe can conceive the sweetnesse of that salutation when the Spirit of God sayes to me in a morning Go forth to day and preach and preach consolation preach peace preach mercy And spare my people spare that people whom I have redeemed with my precious Blood and be not angry with them for ever Do not wound them doe not grinde them do not astonish them with the bitternesse with the heavinesse with the sharpnesse with the consternation of my judgements David proposes to himselfe that he would Sing of mercy Psal 101.1 and of judgement but it is of mercy first and not of judgement at all otherwise then it will come into a song as joy and consolation is compatible with it It hath falne into disputation and admitted argument whether ever God inflicted punishments by his good Angels But that the good Angels the ministeriall Angels of the Church are properly his instruments for conveying mercy peace consolation never fell into question never admitted opposition How heartily God seemes to utter and how delightfully to insist upon that which he sayes in Esay Consolamini consolamini populum meum Comfort ye comfort ye my people Esay 40.1 And Loquimini ad cor Speake to the heart of Ierusalem and tell her Thine iniquities are pardoned How glad Christ seemes that he had it for him when he gives the sick man that comfort Fili confide My son be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee What a Coronation is our taking of Orders by which God makes us a Royall Priesthood And what an inthronization is the comming up into a Pulpit where God invests his servants with his Ordinance as with a Cloud and then presses that Cloud with a Vaesi non woe be unto thee if thou doe not preach and then enables him to preach peace mercy consolation to the whole Congregation That God should appeare in a Cloud upon the Mercy Seat as he promises Moses he will doe That from so poore a man as stands here Levit. 16.2 wrapped up in clouds of infirmity and in clouds of iniquity God should drop raine poure downe his dew and sweeten that dew with his honey and crust that honied dew into Manna and multiply that Manna into Gomers and fill those Gomers every day and give every particular man his Gomer give every soule in the Congregation consolation by me That when I call to God for grace here God should give me grace for grace Grace in a power to derive grace upon others and that this Oyle this Balsamum should flow to the hem of the garment even upon them that stand under me That when mine eyes looke up to Heaven the eyes of all should looke up upon me and God should open my mouth to give them meat in due season That I should not onely be able to say as Christ said to that poore soule Confide fili My son be of good comfort but Fratres Patres mei My Brethren and my Fathers nay Domini mei and Rex meus My Lords and my King be of good comfort your sins are forgiven you That God should seale to me that Patent Ite praedicate omni Creaturae Goe and preach the Gospell to every Creature be that creature what he will That if God lead me into a Congregation as into his Arke where there are but eight soules but a few disposed to a sense of his mercies and all the rest as in the Arke ignobler creatures and of brutall natures and affections That if I finde a licentious Goat a supplanting Fox an usurious Wolfe an ambitious Lion yet to that creature to every creature I should preach the Gospel of peace and consolation and offer these creatures a Metamorphosis a transformation a new Creation in Christ Jesus and thereby make my Goat and my Fox and my Wolfe and my Lion to become Semen Dei The seed of God and Filium Dei The child of God and Participem Divinae Naturae Partaker of the Divine Nature it selfe This is that which Christ is essentially in himselfe This is that which ministerially and instrumentally he hath committed to me to shed his consolation upon you upon you all Not as his Almoner to drop his consolation upon one soule nor as his Treasurer to issue his consolation to a whole Congregation but as his Ophir as his Indies to derive his gold his precious consolation upon the King himselfe What would a good Judge a good natured Judge give in his Circuit what would you in whose breasts the Judgements of the Star-chamber or other criminall Courts are give that you had a warrant from the King to change the sentence of blood into a pardon where you found a Delinquent penitent How rufully do we heare the Prophets groane under that Onus visionis which they repeat so often O the burden of my vision upon Judah or upon Moab or Damascus or Babylon or any place Which is not only that that judgement would be a
Son are appropriated to him and made his so intirely as if there were never a soule created but his To enrich this poore soule to comfort this sad soule so as that he shall beleeve and by beleeving finde all Christ to be his this is that Liberality which we speake of now in dispensing whereof The liberall man deviseth liberall things and by liberall things shall stand Now you may be pleased to remember that when wee considered this word Cogitabit in our former part he shall Devise we found this Devising Originally to signifie a studying a deliberation a concluding upon premisses upon which we inferred pregnantly and justly that as to support a mans expense he must Vivere de proprio Live upon his owne so to relieve others he must Dare de suo Be liberall of that which is his Now what is ours Ours that are Ministers of the Gospell As wee are Christs so Christ is ours Puer datus nobis filius natus nobis There is a Child given unto us a Son borne unto us Esay 9. Even in that sense Christ is given to us that we might give him to others So that in this kind of spirituall liberality we can be liberall of no more but our owne we can give nothing but Christ we can minister comfort to none farther then he is capable and willing to receive and embrace Christ Jesus When therefore some of the Fathers have said Ratio pro fide Graecis Barbaris Just Mar. Rectified reason was accepted at the hands of the Gentiles as faith is of the Christians Philosophia per se justificavit Graecos Philosophie alone without faith justified the Grecians Clemens Satis fuit Gentibus abstinuisse ab Idololatria It was enough for the Gentiles Chrysost if they did not worship false Gods though they knew not the true truly Andrad when we heare Andradius in the Roman Church poure out falvation to all the Gentiles that lived a good morall life and no more when we heare their Tostatus sweepe away Tostatus blow away Originall sin so easily from all the Gentiles In prima operatione bona in charitate In the first good Morall worke that they doe Originall sin is as much extinguished in them by that as by Baptisme in us When we see some Authors in the Reformation afford Heaven to persons that never professed Christ this is spirituall prodigality and beyond that liberality which we consider now for Christ is ours and where we can apply him we can give all comforts in him But none to others Not that we manacle the hands of God or say God can save no man without the profession of Christ But that God hath put nothing else into his Churches hands to save men by but Christ delivered in his Scripture applied in the preaching of the Gospell and sealed in the Sacraments And therefore if we should give this comfort to any but those that received him and received him so according to his Ordinance in his Church we should be over-liberall for we should give more then our owne But to all that would be comforted in Christ we devise liberall things that is wee spend our studies our lucubrations our meditations to bring Christ Jesus home to their case and their conscience And by these liberall things we shall stand In our former part in that Civill liberality Stabit wee did not content our selves with that narrow signification of the word which some gave That the liberall man would stand to it abide by it that is continue liberall still habitually but that he should stand by it and prosper the better for it If this Liberality which we consider now in this second Part were but that branch of Charity which is bodily reliefe by bountifull Almes and no more yet wee might be so liberall in Gods behalfe as to pronounce that the charitable man should stand by it prosper for it and have a plentifull harvest for any sowing in that kinde The Holy Ghost in the 112. Psalme and 9. verse hath taken a word which may almost seeme to taste of a little inconsideration in such a charitable person a little indiscretion in giving in flinging in casting away for it is He hath dispersed Dispersed A word that implies a carelesse scattering But that which followes justifies it He hath dispersed he hath given to the poore Let the manner or the measure be how it will so it be given to the poore it will not be without excuse not without thanks And therefore wee have this liberall charity expressed by S. Paul in the same word too 2 Cor. 9 9. He hath dispersed but dispersed as before Dispersed by giving to the poore For there is more negligence more inconsideration allowed us in giving of Almes then in any other expense Neither are we bound to examine the condition and worthinesse of the person to whom we give too narrowly too severely Hee that gives freely shall stand by doing so Prov. 17.19 for He that pitieth the poore lendeth to the Lord And the Lord is a good Debtor and never puts Creditor to sue And if that bee not comfort enough S. Hicrom gives more in his-translation of that place foeneratur Domino he that pitieth the poore puts his money to use to God and shall receive the debt and more But the liberality which we consider here in this part is more then that more then any charity how large soever that is determined or conversant about bodily reliefe for as you have heard it is consolation applied in Christ to a distressed soule to a disconsolate spirit And how a liberall man shall stand by this liberality by applying such consolation to such a distressed soule I better know in my selfe then I can tell any other that is not of mine owne profession for this knowledge lyes in the experience of it For the most part men are of one of these three sorts Either inconsiderate men and they that consider not themselves consider not us they aske not they expect not this liberality from us or else they are over-confident and presume too much upon God or diffident and distrust him too much And with these two wee meet often but truly with seven diffident and dejected for one presuming soule So that we have much exercise of this liberality of raising dejected spirits And by this liberality we stand For when I have given that man comfort that man hath given me a Sacrament hee hath given me a seale and evidence of Gods favour upon me I have received from him in his receiving from me I leave him comforted in Christ Jesus and I goe away comforted in my selfe that Christ Jesus hath made me an instrument of the dispensation of his mercy And I argue to my selfe and say Lord when I went I was sure that thou who hadst received me to mercy wouldst also receive him who could not be so great a sinner as I And now when I come
of all other places there is scarce one to which Bellarmine himselfe doth not by way of objection against himselfe give some better sense and interpretation then that which himselfe sticks to and such a sense as when the matter of Purgatory is not in question his fellowes often times in their writings and himselfe sometimes in his writings doth accept and adhere to I offer it for a note of good use and in the observing whereof I have used a constant diligence in reading the Roman Writers That those Writers which write by way of Exposition and Commentaries upon the Scriptures and are not engaged in the professed handling of Controversies doe very often content themselves with the true sense of those places which they handle and hunt after no curious nor forced nor forraine nor unnaturall senses But if the same Authors come to handle Controversies they depart from that singlenesse of heart and that holy ingenuity and stray aside or soare up into other senses of the same places I looke no farther for a reason of this then this That almost all the Controversies between Rome and the rest of the Christian world are matters of profit to them and rayse money and advance their Revenue So that as they are but Expositors they may have leave to be good Divines and then and in that capacity they may give the true sense of that Scripture But as they are Controverters they must be good Subjects good Statesmen good Exchequer men and then and in that capacity they must give such senses as may establish and advance their profit As an Expositor he may interpret this place of the Resurrection as it should be but as a Controverter he must interpret it of Purgatory for so it must be when profit is their end And as our Alchymists can finde their whole art and worke of Alchymy not onely in Virgil and Ovid but in Moses and Solomon so these men can finde such a transmutation into gold such a foundation of profit in extorting a sense for Purgatory or other profitable Doctrines out of any Scripture So Bellarmine does upon this place and upon this place principally he relyes De purg l. 1. c. 6. in this he triumphs when he sayes Hic locus apertè convincit quod volumus Here needs no wresting no disguising here Purgatory is clearly and manifestly discovered Now certainly if we take the words as they are and as the Holy Ghost hath left them to us we finde no such manifestation of this Doctrine no such cleare light no such bonfire no such beacon no beame at all no spark of any such fire of Purgatory That because S. Paul sayes That no man would be baptized Pro mortuis for Dead or for the Dead except he did assure himselfe of a Resurrection that this should be Aperta convictio an evident Conviction of Purgatory is if it be not a new Divinity certainly a new Logique But it is not the word but the sense that they ground their assurance upon Now the sense which should ground an assurance in Doctrinall things should be the literall sense And yet here in so important a matter of faith as Purgatory it must not be a literall a proper a naturall and genuine sense but figurative and metaphoricall for in this place Baptisme must not signifie literally the Sacrament of Baptisme but it must signifie in a figurative sense a Baptisme of teares And then that figure must be a pregnant figure a figure with childe of another figure for as this Baptisme must signifie teares so these teares must signifie all that they use to expresse by the name of Penance and discipline and mortification Weeping and fasting and almes and whipping all must be comprehended in these teares And then as there was a mother figure and a daughter figure so there is a grand-child too for here is a Prosopopoeia an imagining a raysing up of a person that is not That all this must be done by some man alive with relation and in the behalfe of a dead person that these afflictions which he takes upon himselfe in this world may accrew in the benefit thereof to a man in another world Now if any of this Evidence be defective if it be not evident that this is a figurative speech but that the literall sense is very proper to the place if it be not evident that this figure of Baptisme is meant for teares and other penances If it be not evident that this penance is more then that man needed to have undergone for his own salvation but that God became indebted to him for that penance so sustained and if it be not evident that this penance and supererogation may be applied and communicated to a dead man it is a little too forwardly and too couragiously pronounced Hic locus apertè convincit quod volu mus We desire no more then this place for the proofe of Purgatory Yet he pursues his triumph Vera genuina interpretatio sayes he As though he might waive the benefit of making it a figurative sense and have his ends by maintaining it to be the literall sense This is sayes he the true and naturall sense of the place But it will be hard for him to perswade us either that this is the literall sense of the place or that this place needs any other then a literall sense Since he will not allow us a figurative sense in that great mystery in the Sacrament in the Hoc est Corpus meum but binde us punctually in the letter without any figure not onely in the thing for in the thing in the matter we require no figure we beleeve the body of Christ to be in the Sacrament as literally as really as they doe but even in the words and phrase of speech He should not looke that we should allow him a figurative sense in that place which must be Apertissimus locus his most evident place for the proofe of so great an article of faith as Purgatory is with them We have a Rule by which that sense will be suspicious to us which is Not to admit figurative senses in interpretation of Scriptures where the literall sense may well stand And he himselfe hath a Rule if he remember the Councell of Trent by which that sense cannot be admitted by himselfe which is That they must interpret Scriptures according to the unanime consent of the Fathers and he knowes in his conscience that he hath not done so as we shall remember him anone Not to founder by standing long in this puddle he makes no other argument that Baptisme must here be understood of afflictions voluntarily sustained but that that word Baptisme is twice used and accepted so in the Scriptures by Christ himselfe It is taken so there therefore it must be taken so here But not to speake at all of the weaknesse of that Consequence the word hath been taken figuratively therefore it must never returne to a literall sense which will hold
Baptisme common to all all that are baptized are baptized from their sins And therefore this of Aquinas not reaching to S. Pauls Quid de illis and Quid illi to these men thus baptized is not that sense neither which we seek But the time will not permit us to pursue the severall interpretations of those Moderni whom directly or comparatively we call Ancients Neither truly though there be many other Interpreters then we have named are there many other interpretations then we have touched upon or then may be reduced to them And therefore to end here this consideration of the Fathers and those whom they esteem Pillars of their Church we are thus much at our liberty for all them That first there is no unanime consent in the interpretation of this place and that which they binde themselves to follow is the unanime consent of the Fathers And then though the Fathers had unanimely consented in one and that one had been the exposition which Bellarmine pursues yet we might by their example have departed from it for in the Roman Church Fathers and Fathers Fathers Popes themselves And howsoever the Fathers may be Fathers in respect of us yet in respect of the Pope who is S. Peter himselfe and alwayes sits in his person the Fathers are but children sayes Bellarmine were of opinion That the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was absolutely necessary for children to their salvation and this opinion lasted in force and in use for divers hundreds of yeares neither was it ever repressed by Authority till the other day in the Councel of Trent but wore out of it selfe long before because it had no foundation So the opinion of the Millenarians That Christ with his Saints should have a thousand years of a temporall raign here upon earth after his second comming had possessed the Fathers in a very great partie The Fathers in a great partie denied that the soules of good men departed were to enjoy the sight of God till the Resurrection And the Fathers affirmed That the cause of Gods election was the foresight of the faith and obedience of the Elect. These errors are so noted even by the Authors of the Roman Church for I depart not herein from their own words and observations as that they still present them so Omnes plurimi All the Fathers Most of the Fathers were of this and this opinion And yet for all these Fathers no man in the Roman Church is so childish now as to give his child that Sacrament or to accompany those Fathers in those other mistakings This hath been done in fact they have departed from the Fathers And then for a Rule Cardinall Cajetan tels us That if a new sense of any place of Scripture agreeable to other places and to the analogy of faith arise to us it is not to be refused Quia torrens patrum because the streame of the Fathers is against it For they themselves have told us why we may suspect the Fathers and by what means the Fathers have falne into many mis-interpretations First they say Quia glaciem sciderunt because the Fathers broke the Ice and undertook the interpretation of many places in which they had no light no assistance from others and so might easily turne into a sinister way And then Rhetoricati sunt say they The Fathers often applyed themselves in figurative and Hyberbolicall speeches to exalt the devotions and stir up the affections of their auditory and therefore must not be called to too severe and literall an account for all that they uttered in that manner And againe Plebi indulserunt as S. Augustine sayes of himselfe sometimes out of a loathnesse to offend the ignorant and sometimes the holy and devout and that he might hold his auditory together and avert none from comming to him he was unwilling to come to such an exact truth in the explication and application of some places as that for the sharpnesse and bitternesse thereof weaker stomachs might forbeare So also they confesse too that ex vehementia declinarunt In heat of disputation and argument and to make things straight they bent them too much on the other hand and to oppose one Heresie they endangered the inducing of another as in S. Augustines disputations against the Pelagians who over-advanced the free will of man and the Manicheans who by admitting Duo principia two Caufes an extrinsique cause of our evill actions as well as of our good annihilated the free will of man we shall find sometimes occasions to doubt whether S. Augustine were constant in his owne opinion and not transported sometimes with vehemency against his present adversary whether Pelagian or Manichean Which is a disease that even some great Councels in the Church and Church-affaires have felt that for collaterall and occasionall and personall respects which were risen after they were met the maine doctrinall points and such as have principally concerned the glory of God and the salvation of soules and were indeed the principall and onely cause of their then meeting there have beene neglected Men that came thither with a fervent zeale to the glory of God have taken in a new fire of displeasure against particular Heretiques or Schismatiques and discontinued their holy zeale towards God till their occasionall displeasure towards those persons might be satisfied and so those Heresies and Heretiques against whom they met have got advantage by that passion which hath overtaken and overswayed them after they were met And whatsoever hath fallen into Councels of that kinde Ecclesiasticall Councels may possibly be imagined or justly be feared or at least without offence be pre-disswaded and deprecated in all Civill Consultations and Councels of State That Occasionall things may not divert the Principall for as in the Naturall body the spleene may suffocate the heart and yet the spleen is but the sewar of the body and the heart is the strength and the Palais thereof so in politique bodies and Councels of State an immature and indigested an intempestive and unseasonable pressing of present remedies against all inconveniencies may suffocate the heart of the businesse and frustrate and evacuate the blessed and glorious purpose of the whole Councell The Basiliske is very sharpe-sighted but he sees therefore and to that end that he may kill So is so does passion Who would wish to be sharper sighted then the Eagle And his strength of sight is in this that he lookes to the Sun To looke to things that are evident The evident danger of the State and the Church The evident malice and power of the enemy The evident storme upon our peace and Religion To looke that God be not tempted by us nor his Lieutenant and Vicegerent wearied and hardened towards us This is the object of the Eagles eye and this is wisdome high enough Where men see a great foundation laid they will thinke that all that is not onely to raise a Spittle to cure or a Church-yard to bury a few diseased
Leo Magnus 42. B. 48. C. D. 63. B. 221. E. 321. B. 431. B. 535. D. 604. A. Leo Castrius 695. D. Lex XII Tabularum 445. D. Lombardus 237. B. notatus 334. E. Lorinus 426. C. 574. C. 687. E. 695. D. Lutherus 18. D. 130. B. 205. A. 231. C. 232. D. 271. D. 301. D. 404. C. Apophthegma ejus 405. C. 417. B. 426. A. 479. E. 501. A. 687. B. 786. B. 798. E. Lyra. 50. B. 555. D. M Magdeburgenses 489. C. 799. C. Maldonatus 197. D. 356. E. 489. D. 739. D. 771. B. 798. A. Mariana 687. E. Martialis 550. B. S. Martialis 758. C. P. Martyr 271. B. 347. C. Masoritae 153. C. Maximus 63. A. 535. E. Matchiavel 744. B. Melancthon 92. C. 744. C. 798. E. Melchior Canus 42. A. 740. B. Menander 220. A. Mendoza 162. B. D. Munsterus 747. C. Musculus 775. A. N Nicephorus 31. D. dictum ejus de Chrysostomo 490. C. 699. B. O Oecumenius 66. A. 232. C. 527. A. Oleaster 391. D. Origenes 99. D. 102. A. 118. C. 128. E. 170. E. 201. C. 262. D. 263. C. 299. B. 333. B. 362. C. 363. D. 386. B. 411. C. 546. C. 700. C. 710. E. primus concionator 758. D. 770. D. 784. C. Osiander 221. C. 298. B. P Palladius 473. C. Pamelius 329. C. Panigorolla 166. A. Papias 739. E. Paracelsus 64. E. Paraphrastes Chaldaeus 134. A. 269. D. 404. B. Pellicanus 221. C. 404. C. Peltanus 97. E. Pererius 50. A. 740. A. Philo Judaeus 170. B. 417. D. 420. C. 550. B. 561. C. 680. D. 812. C. Picus 531. D. Pindarus 442. D. Piscator 46. C. 49. E. 131. E. 737. E. 799. A. Plato 46. D. 68. E. 168. D. 318. D. 442. D. 752. E. 783. E. 812. C. Plinius 17. A. 222. A. 385. C. 537. D. 617. B. 665. B. 713. A. 788. B. Plotinus 812. C. Plutarchus 665. C. Polycarpus 758. C. Polybius 482. D. 551. A. Porphyrius 207. B. 289. B. Prosper 240. D. Prudentius 262. E. Psalmi Arabicè 582. A. Ptolomaeus 818. B. Q Quintilianus 289. B. R Rabbi Aben Ezra 131. C. Rabbi Moyses 63. E. 66. B. 608. B. Rabbi Solomon 50. B. 404. B. Reuchlinus 541. C. Rhemigius 4. B. 340. A. Ribera 184. C. Roffensis 789. A. Ruffinus 270. E. Rupertus 51. B. S Salmeron 489. D. Sanctius 151. E. 405. E. Sandaeus 495. A. 690. D. Scotus 111. B. Scribanius 142. C. Schonfeldius 743. B. Seneca 147. E. 168. E. 362. B. 387. E. 388. A. 713. E. 789. B. 812. D. Serarius 406. B. Septuaginta Interpretes 404. B. 416. A. 528. B. 585. A. Severianus 249. C. Sextus Senensis 786. E. Sidonius Apollinaris 33. B. Sophronius 490. C. Stenartius 605. E. Strabo 198. D. Stunnica 133. A. Synodus Dordrecthana 742. C. T Tacitus 481. E. Talmud 379. C. 492. A. Tannerus 605. D. Tertullianus 17. C. 18. A. 33. E. 80. A. memoria lapsus 101. B. 152. A. 168. C. 181. E. 207. E. 289. B. 290. D. 309. D. 312. B. 334. B. 337. B. C. 369. E. 370. E. 379. B. 388. A. 395. B. E. 397. E. 400. A. B. 408. A. 414. E. 504. B. 739. E. 783. E. 794. C. 800. E. Testamentum Syriacum 636. C. 737. E. Theocritus 478. A. Theodoretus 91. B. 232. A. 305. D. 462. A. 578. D. 795. A. Theophylactus 91. B. 181. B. 246. B. 527. A. 609. C. 795. C. Tremellius 131. E. 133. E. 510. A. 560. C. 585. A. 690. B. 737. E. 809. C. Trismegistus 287. B. 295. B. 347. C. 379. C. 501. C. Turrecremata 603. C. V G. Valentia 356. D. 605. D. Vincentius Lyrinensis 47. A. 699. B. 722. D. Virgilius 744. C. 784. A. Vita P. Nerei 116. E. Vega. 339. D. Ulpianus 194. E. Vossius 740. A. Us pergensis 208. A. Vulgata Editio 146. D. 157. D. 162. C. 260. A. 288. D. 311. A. 505. C. 610. E. 711. D. 717. C. 743. C. 761. B. W Waldo 291. D. AN ALPHABETICALL TABLE OF THE PRINCIPALL CONTENTS IN THIS BOOK The number of the Figures referreth to the Page the Letter to the like Letter in the Margin A ABsolute Decree how dangerously man may be abused by it 691. E There is no such in God of punishing man but as a sinner 675. C. D. E Absolution of sinnes the power of it 143. A. B The cheerefulnesse of their spirits that have newly received it 264. A 596. B The necessity of it 370. A. B Active life and Contemplative both good 30. D One not to despise the other ibid. Admiration and Wonder how it stands between Knowledge and Faith 194. A Adoption in civill use the Lawes and Customes of it 27. B Applyed to our spirituall Adoption ibid. Adversity not the best time to seeke the Lord in 139. C. D. 245. D. E Whether Adversity or Prosperity be the cause of most sinnes 658. D Adultory God expresseth all carnall and spirituall sinne by the name of Adultery 632. E Advice to bee mixed with Love and Charitie 93. C How many doe miscarry in it ibid. D Afflictions wherefore inflicted upon Men 109. C Wherefore on godly men 129. B. 480. A. B. C 664. E They are not evill 170. D Common as well to the good as bad 420. E Age the center of Reverence 31. D Allelujah Psalmes which they are and how many 654. A Almes to be done 94. B. 106. C Cheerfully and without delay 107. D Against those that neglect them 414. B Wee not to consider the person too severely that is to receive them 764. A Against being Alone 51. E. 761. E. 762. A Alphonso King of Casteel his blasphemy 640. E Amen ever doubled by Saint John and why 658. B Anabaptists their wicked opinions 23. C. 91. C 344. D Anathema the severall acceptations of it 401. E Saint Andrew the first Saint in the Calendar and why 718. C. D Angels how reconciled by the death of Christ 9. B Whether they understand thoughts 111. B Or see the Essence of God 120. E. 121. D. E They pray for us 130. A Whether they shall give account of their Stewardship over us at the day of Judgement 234. E. 235. A Thought in the Greeke Church to be created before the World 235. E Nothing in Scripture about their creation 235. D Not in themselves Immortall 237 B. C. Some men called by the ministry of Angels even from the beginning of the world 261. E They that fell might have repented according to the Schooles 262. B They that fell shall never befor given 346. B Of tutelar Angels 422. B Angels created with the Light 729. C Anger in God two errours about it noted by Lactantius 408. D Anointing in Scripture not alwayes taken for reall Unction 44. E. 45. A c Anointing proper to Kings as well as Priests 396. A Ant and the Bee the difference betweene their labour and yet we are commanded to learne of both 712. E Apatheia against indolencie and emptinesse of all Affections 156. A Apochrypha Bookes the good use that is made of them 220. D Of their esteeme
E Citation of Scripture the words much more the Chapter and verse not alwayes observed in it 250. C. 325. D Complements of their abuse and use 176. A. B. C. 412. D Comforts how easily we mistake false Comforts for true 279. E. 382. D. 383. A. B 501. A Of the true Comfort of the Holy Ghost 353. D Of that Comfort and consolation which the Minister of the Gospell is to preach to all people 746. A. B C Confession to the Priest in some cases usefull and necessary 558. A 568. A. 589. B. C How necessary to Confesse 569. D. 586. E Confidence true Confidence proceeds onely from true goodnesse 171. E Confirmation whether a Sacrament 329. C The use and benefit of it ibid. D. E Continency that trial not made as should be whether young people can Conteine from marriage 217. B C Contrition Confession and Satisfaction three parts of true Repentance 568. A Conventicles against their private opinions 228. C Against them 455. A They are no Bodies 756. D Consideration of our selves and our insufficiencies how necessary 44. D. 45. A. c. Constitutions No sins to be layd and fathered upon them 90. A Corporations how they have no soules 99. A Covering of sinnes what good and what bad 569. E It is good to cover them from giving other men examples 570. A Counsell not to be given unlesse we love those to whom we give it 93. C How many miscarry in that poynt ibid. D Craft and that cunning and Craft which men affect in their severall Callings 411. D Creatures how farre we may love the Creatures and how farre not 398. E Curiosity against the excesse of it in matter of Knowledge 63. E. 64. A. 411. E. 563. B. 701. A Conscience obdurate and over-tender the effects of either 587. B. C. D Curses and Imprecations whether we may use them 401. C. D. 555. E D DAmned the consummation of their torment wherein it consisteth in the opinion of the Schoole 344. B More shall be saved than damned 765. C Of the torments of the damned 776. B. C The absence of God the greatest torment of the damned ibid. D Day of Judgement the manner of proceeding in it 140. B Fearefull even to the best 200. B. C The certainty and uncertainty of it 271. D To be had ever in remembrance and why 371. B. 389. C. 392. A Death how it may be desired of us and how not 38. A. B. C. D. 148. B. C. 531. D. E Against the ambition of it in the pseudomartyrs 142. C The word Fortasse hath place in all things but Death 147. C. D It is a law a tribute and a duty and how 147. E. 148. A We not to grudge if we dy soon or others live longer ibid. B Death how an enemy to mankinde and how not ibid E God made it not but maketh use of it 188. B Of undergoing Death for Christ 400. A B Not a banishment to good men but a visitation of their friends 463. C Death why so terrible to the good men of former times 532. D The often contemplation of Death takes much from the feare of it 473. E Debts of our Debts to God 87. C To our neighbours 93. E To our superiors 91. C To our selves 94. D Deceit and Deceiving the mischiefe of it 742. B The law will not suppose it either in a father or a master ibid. 42. Decrees of God to be considered only by the Execution 330. C None absolute considering man before a Sinner 675. C. D. E Departing from sinne to be generall 552. A We are not to retaine any one 568. D Deprecating of afflictions whether or no lawfull 504. B. C. D. E Desperation the sin of it greater and worse than that of presumption 398. C Severall sects there have been but never any of Despayring men 346. A Against it 360. D E God brings his servants to humiliation often but never to Desperation 464. Destroying whether man may lawfully destroy any one hurtfull species in the world 527. B 620. C De viâ the name of such as were Christians in the former times that is men of that way according to S. Chrysostome 426. B Devils capable of mercy according to many of the Fathers 66. A The Devils quoting of Scripture 338. C Devotion a serious sedulous and impatient thing 244. E It is good to accompany our selves to a generall Devotion 512 D It must be constant 586. B And not taken up by chance ibid. C Disciplining and mortifying Acts after God hath forgiven us our sinnes commended 546. E They inferre neither Purgatory nor Indulgences nor Satisfaction 547. A They are sharp arrows from a sweet hand ib. The necessity of them to make our Repentance entire 568. B Discretion the mother and nurse of all vertues 577. B What Discretion is to be used in telling people of their sinnes ibid. Division the fore-runner of destruction 138. D. E Not alwayes unlawfull to sow Division amongst men when they agree too well to ill purposes 493. D Doubting the way to know the truth 322. D Duels the inhumanity and sinne of them 5. E Duties of our calling not to be disputed but executed 41. A Of our generall weaknesse and impotency in spirituall Duties 513. C E EArly seeking of God what it is 245. C. D God is an Early God 809. A. B And we to seeke him Early ibid. D. E Eloquence required in the delivery of Gods Word 47. D Enemies profit to be made of them 98. A We come too soone to the name and then carry it too farre 98. C God and Religion both have Enemies 375 D 703. C How we may and how we may not hate our Enemies ibid. D. E Our Enemies are Gods Enemies 704. A Errours in the way almost as dangerous as Errours in the end 639. A. D Of the Errours of the Fathers of the Church 490. A About administring the Sacrament to children about the state of the soule after death c. 739. E Not good for the Church to play with small Errours and tolerate them when shee may as easily redresse them 782. B Esay rather an Evangelist than a Prophet 54. B Evill none from God 168. C. D Nothing is naturally Evill 171. A Example in all our actions and purposes wee to propose unto our selves some patterne or Example 667. D. Examples what power they have in matter of instruction 572. D. 593. A What care is to be taken in making the inordinate acts of some Holy men in Scripture our Examples 155. C. D. 488. D. E. 489. A. 526. E How farre Example works above precept or command 165. B Of giving good Examples to others 420. C God follows his own Examples 522. E Of giving bad Examples unto other men 570. A. 573. E Excommunication the use of it amongst the Druides and the Jewes 402. A Much tendernesse to be used in excommunicating any from the Church 667. A How many men excommunicare themselves without any Church-censure ib. B. C. 418.
B. C Expostulation with God how without sin 44. B. We may not excuse the inordinatenesse of all Expostulations of good men in the Scripture 132. C Nor come neere that excesse which we finde in some of them 155. C Of that in the widdow of Zareptha 218. A Against Extortion 94. A Against Extremities in matters of opinion 42. A. B. c. In Religion 326. D F FAith against implicite Faith 178. C. 411. C Faith and Reason how contiguous they are 178. B Faith how it is assisted by Reason 429. A. 612. A Of the imperfection that is in our Faith 818. D Faith and Works 78. E. 368. A. 567. D. E Our Workes more ours than our Faith 79. C. D. E. c. The Faith of others how profitable to us 105. D And how not 106. E Men not to deceive themselves with thinking that if they have Faith once they shall have it ever or have enough 819. B. C Fall sinne is a fall and how 186. D. 187. B. C. 462. D Against impossibility of falling from grace received 240. B. C Of Fame and getting a good name the necessity of it 680. A Fathers of the power of life and death which they had over their owne children 388. A How Jesuites slight the authority of the Fathers of the Church 489. C How they are to be followed 490. C Feare of the Feare of God 386. B The difference between fearefullnesse and Feare 387. B Servile and Filial Feare both good 386. D The Feare of God a blessed disease 466. B It constitutes the best assurance 694. C Not only a Feare but even a terror of God may fall upon the best men 70. A Festivalls the reason of their Institution in the Church 298. B Of applying particular Scriptures to particular Festivalls 423. D Filiation the markes of our spirituall Filiation lesse subject to errour than of our Temporall 338. E Fasting but thrice mentioned by David and he thrice derided for it 535. C The commendation and use of it ibid. D. E Finding of God the severall times of it 597. A Of Finding that which was lost 711. E The passage of the Usher in S. Augustine that found a bag of money and would not take so much as the tithe of it 712. A Fishers of men the Apostles why so called 734. E Flatterers how men may flatter the best men the very Angels yea and God himselfe 332. B Foliantes an Order in the Roman Church who only feed on roots and leaves 731. C Following Christ how we are to Follow in beleeving and in doing 731. E Against Forespeaking the Counsels or Actions of the State 535. E Foretelling of death the passage of the Monks of S. sidorus Monastery about it 473. C Forme of publike Prayer used amongst the very Gentiles 89. A And they had a particular Officer who made Prayers and Collects for them upon emergent occasions ibid. Which were received every five years ibid. Fortune and God how they consist together 711. C Freewill the obliquities of it from whence 283. D The power of it in our conversion 309. A. B Funerals of the duties belonging to them 196. A. 198. B Of the severall manner of them among severall nations 198. D Christian Funerals an evidence of Gods presence 826. B Fulnesse how in Christ and how in others of the Saints 3. C Three Fulnesses in Christ above others 4. A How Full all of us are of originall sin 2. E How Full God is of mercy 12. C Of Fulnesse without satisfaction and of satisfaction without Fulnesse 807. A Abraham why Full of yeares and yet not so old as Methusalem ibid. D Severall Fulnesses ibid. E G GEntiles and their salvation how prone the Fathers were in beleeving of it 261. D. 763. C Of the power of naturall reason in them and what many of the Fathers thought of it 314. C Of their multiplicity of Gods 378. B. 484. D. 502. E They durst not call their Tutelar Gods by their names 608. A Gentlenesse meeknesse and mildenesse the power of it both upon man and God 409. E. 410. A. B Glad God whether he be Glad that he is God 812. B Glorified bodies their Endowments applyed to the soule after her first resurrection 189. A. B. C Gloria Patri after every Psalme how ancient 88. C Glory against our feare of giving God too much Glory 58. E No Glory to God in destroying man only for his pleasure 85. B Glory what it is 88. A The light of Glory in heaven what 231. A All things we doe must be to the Glory of God 636. E Of the disparity and degrees of Glory in the Kingdome of heaven 742. D. 743. A. B. C Gluttony the effects and miseries of it 579. D God not to be loved in consideration of the Temporall Blessings he bestoweth upon us but for himselfe 750. C. D Foure wayes of knowing him 229. B God how present even in hell 226. D. E Seeing of God before us in our actions how necessary 169. E How we see him in a glasse 226. B How we are enemies to God 65. B All his wayes are goodnesse 66. E Severall positions motions and transitions ascribed to him 67. C How omnipresent with the Ubiquetary and the Stancarist 67. E Why he makes some poor others rich 84. E Glories not in destroying man till he finde cause 85. B Proposeth his glory to himselfe as the end of all his works 87. C. D. E All our wealth and honour to be ascribed to him 95. B Whether his Essence shall be seene in heaven 120. D. 230. D No evill from him 168. C Not the Author of sinne 368. E To be reverenced as a Father 388. C Of the reason of many Gods amongst the Gentiles 484. D God hates not any man but as a finner 628. C. D His mercy to all men 679. A. B The numberlesse number of Gods Benefits unto man 765. A Our Goods what care to be taken they be well gotten 83. A. 95. E They are abusively called Goods 168. D Goodnesse speciall in God 167. E. 168. A. B Golden Crowns of the Saints how forged in the Roman Church 743. D Gospell whether yet preached over all the world 363. D Why it is called in Scripture the Kingdome of God 472. A How compared to a net 736. C Grace against irresistible Grace 456. B Grace and Nature how they cooperate 649. D No consummative Grace in this life 735. B Graduall Psalmes which and why they are so called 653. E Great men not alwayes good and why 166. A But when good the more acceptable and their ill the more pardonable ibid. B. C The true end of Greatnesse 321. B. C. D Great men how dangerously obnoxious to their own servants 551 A Gretzer the Jesuite how injurious to the power of Kings in matters of Religion 698. D H AGainst making too much Haste either in Temporall or Spirituall Riches 520. D Hatred how it may consist with Charity 100 A Health Spirituall Health to
be preferred before that of the Body 110. C. 755. A What a Blessing the Bodily Health is 754. A. B. Hearing the Word against the neglect of it 331. A. B Against Hearing only 455. C Heart no inward part of man ascribed unto God beside the Heart 64. B Heaven the joyes of it 73. C. D. 223. A. B. C 266. A The Glory 682. A The Dotes or Endowments of the Saints of Heaven 266. B. 189. A. B. c. 824. C Heresie of the severall Heresies against the person of Christ 316. D Of that of the Photinians and Nativitarians 344. C Heretiques of severall wayes of dealing with them 355. C. D. 356. B. C. D Of History and returning the memory of man to things that are past and gone 290. B The Holy Ghost not so easily apprehended by the light of Reason as the other persons of the Trinity 318. C. D In the Procession especially ibid. E. 327. A. B. C 335. B The manner how he works upon man 322. C. D Three branches of sins against the Holy Ghost in the Schoole 349. E Refusing of lawfull Authority is sin against the Holy Ghost in St. Bernards judgement 350. B The power of the Holy Ghost in blowing where he lists 364. B. C His operations in meere morall men 365. A St. Paul beleeved of many to be the H. Ghost 461. E Holy Ghost only Dogmaticall the best men but Problematicall 658. A Hope how imperfect a Christian mans Hope is 820. A How a hatefull and a damnable Monosyllable 301. D Honour and Reputation which so many stand upon what it is 410. A Honey what is meant by it in Scripture 712. C Hospitalite the commendation and benefit of it 414. D. E. 415. A. B Houses of Progresse and standing Houses for God Heaven and the Church 747. B Humane learning how necessary to the making of a good Divine 562. A Hypocrisie the good use and benefit that may be made by it 297. E. 636. B Against the wicked practise of it 585. D I OF those Idaeas which are in God 667. E Against Idlenesse and lazinesse and taking of no Calling 45. D. 411. B Jehovah the right pronouncing of that Name the meanes whereby Christ did Miracles according to the calumniating Jewes 502. C Not pronounced till of late ibid. D Jesuites their uncharitablenesse even to their owne Authors in defaming and disgracing of them though their betters 50. A The pride of their Denomination from Jesus 687. D How boldly they depart from the Fathers and their Authority 740. B. C. 796. C D Their pride in taking upon them the name of Fathers 798. A Jesus of the name of Jesus 503. C How S. Paul delights himselfe in that Name 503. D. 688. A Jewes not one of them in all the world a Souldier 5. D Their opinion of Christs comming 21. C Their impious custome of anointing such as die with the blood of a Christian Infant ibid. Ignorance the severall Divisions and subdivisions of it in the Schoole 287. B. How full the most knowing men are of it ibid. C. D A learned Ignorance what 295. E Of the severall Imperfections in our Faith in our Hope and in our Charity 819.820 A. B. C. D Imprecations in Scripture are often only Prophecies 401. C Not allowed us D. but in some cases 555. E Against Impossibility of Falling 240. B Incarnation the mystery of it 16. C. D. 395. E. 396. A. D E Inconsideration the miseries of it 246. D. E. 247. A. 296. E. 297. B. C. D In case of Zeale the more pardonable ib. B Indignation for sinne how great it ought to be 542. C Of that Individuality wherein man is to bee considered 710. D Of that Infallibility with which the Holy Ghost proposeth his Dictates in the scripture and how farre it is from that possibility probability and verisimilitude of the Church of Rome 657. C Jnfidels of their right unto the things of this world 214. D Indulgencies the vanity the Church of Rome was growne to in preaching and extolling of them 773. B. C The multiplicity of them 788. A The Reformation arose from them ibid. D Indulgencies what they were in the Primitive Church 788. E. Against Ingratitude for mercies and Diliverances past 88. B. 577. E Why so seldome condemned in the scripture 550. A Injuries of patience in suffering them 410. A. B Innovations the difference between Innovations and Renovations 735. A Inquisition of torturing men in the Romish Inquisition and the uncertainty of such kinde of Tryalls 194.195 C. D Intentions the best mens best intentions usually misconstrued 344. E Instinct the difference between the Reason of Man and the instinct of Beast what it is and wherein it consisteth 227. B. C Inward speculations inward zeale inward prayer are not full performances of a Christian mans duty 700. B Jordan the River Jordan why so called 718. E Ioyes of Heaven of their eternity 73. C. D 223. A. B. C. 266. A. 340. D. 747. E Heaven represented in Joy and Glory 672. A Joy of the wicked which they have in this world counterfeit 635. C Of the Joy of the godly which they have in this world 671. E. 672. c. 673. A. B Cheerefulnesse and Joy commended 816. B Judging of other men condemned 128. D. 479. A In doubtfull cases we are ever to encline towards Charity 164. E There may be sinne in a charitable Iudging of some holy mens Actions 488. D Judgement of the day of Judgement and the uncertainty thereof 271. D Gods Judgements have not exactly the name of Punishments 544. C How unwilling God is to speak of or to come to Judgement 676. C Justificare to Justifie taken three severall wayes 366. C Neither Works nor Faith the cause of our Justification 367. E K KIngs the best forme of Government by Kings 51. B Our duty and debt unto them 91. C The Releiving of them more necessary than giving of Almes 92. A What Humility and Reverence in Subjects is due unto them ibid. D And afforded in the very Scripture ibid. Not only their substantiall but their circumstantiall and ceremoniall wants to be prevented by the Subjects Giving 100. E Their Crowne of Thornes 137. B Kings a particular ordinance of God and nothing resulting out of the tacite consent of the people 391. C The King to institute and order matters in the publique service of God 698. A He is Keeper of both the Tables D Against those disloyall jealousies and suspicions which the people have of the King and of his affection to Religion 699. D In matters of favour the King is one of the people saith the Law 754. C. D Kisses of their treacherous carnall and sacred uses 405.406 A. B. C Used of Kinsfolkes 407. C As a Recognition of Power D In comming and going E In religious reverence E In signe of concord 408. A Kneeling the necessitie of it in the time of prayer 72. E. 73. A Of the Kneeling at the Sacrament 115. D. 116. A. B. Knowledge of
to the Office of a Prophet 54. D. The promises of God in the Prophets how different from those in the Gospel 40. E. A This a seditious inference the Prophets did thus and thus in the Law therefore the Ministers of the Gospel should doe so likewise and why 734. A Psalmes The Booke of Psalmes the dignity and vertue of it 653. D. E They are the Manna of the Church 663. B Such forbid to bee made Priests that were not perfect in the Psalmes 813. B Singing of the Psalmes how generall and commendable in S. Hieromes times ibid. B. C Purgatorie none in the old Testament and why 783. E How derived from Poets and Philosophers to Fathers 784. A. B. C How suspitiously and doubtfully the Fathers speak of it bid specially S Augustine 786. E Bellarmine refuted about it 792.793 Q QVestions arising taken away by Silencing of both parties 42. D Against curiosity in seeking after them 57. D There is alwaies Divinity enough to save a soule that was never called into Question 745. A How peevish some Romish Authors doe detoâ—t the Scripture when they fall upon any Question or Controversie though otherwise they content themselves with the true meaning and sense of the same words 790. E. 791. A Quomodo to Question how God doth this or that dangerous 301. E. 367. C R REason not to be enquired after in all points of Faith 23. B Reasons not convincing never to be proffered for to prove Articles of Faith 205. D God useth to accompany those Duties which hee commands with Reasons to enduce us to the performance of them 593. A Reconciliation how little amongst the Papists 10. D All Nations under heaven have acknowledged some meanes of Reconciliation to their offended gods in the remission of their sinnes 564. C Religion against such as damnifie Religion by their outward profession more than if they did forsake it 757. D Every Religion had her mysteries her Reservations and in-intelligiblenesse which were not easily understood of all men 690. D And therefore Religion not to be made too homely and course a thing ibid. C Christian Religion an easie yoke a short and contracted burden 71. D All points of Religion not to bee divulged to the people 87. D Defects in Religion safer than superfluities 291. A Of peaceable conversation with men of divers Religions 310. C Wee charged to have but a negative Religion 636. A Religion how farre we may proceed in the outward declaration of our Religion 814. A Resurrection of three sorts 149. E Of that from persecution 185. B. C. D Of that from Sinne 186. D. E. c Of that from Death 189. D How a Resurrection of the soule being the soule cannot die 189. D Christ how the First Resurrection 191. B Our Resurrection a mystery 204. C Resurrection All Religions amongst the Heathens had some Impressions of it 800. E Retrospection or looking upon time past the best rule to judge of the future 668. D Reverence how much due to men of old Age 31. D What Required in Gods House 43. D Revelations wee are not to hearken after them 238 E Nor yet to binde God from them 239. A Rewards against bribery or receiving of Rewards 389. E God first proposes to himselfe persons to be Rewarded or condemned before he thinks of their condemnation or their Reward 674. B. 675. B. C Riches the cause of lesse sinne than poverty 658. D Especially considered in the highest degree and in the lowest that is abundant Riches and extreme beggerly poverty 659. D Against the perverse desire of Riches 728. C Riches S. Chrysostome calls the parents of absurdities and why 729. A The Remane Church a true Church as the Pest house is a house 606. A. 621. C Rome the Church of Rome the better for reformamation 621. B They doe charge us that we have but a negative Religion 636. A Why they so much under-value the Scripture and yet endevour to bring bookes of other Authors into that ranke as the Macchabees and such like 738. E Rome it selfe how it hath beene handled ever by Catholikes in their bloody warres 779. A Almost all the Controversies between Rome and the Christian world are matters of profit 791. A Rule and Example the two onely wayes of Teaching 571. E. 668. B The onely Rule of doctrine the Scripture and Word of God 738. E S THe Sabbath a Ceremoniall Law 92. C Sacrament how effectually Christ is present in it 19. C Of preparing our selves to the worthy receiving of it 32. A. c 33. A. c Against Superstition and Prophanesse too in the comming to it 34. A Of Christs reall presence in it 36. D. 37. B. C That which we receive in the Sacrament to bee Adored 693. B Against unworthy receiving of it 693. D. E Of both extremes about Chrsts presence in the Sacrament 821. E Saints against praying to them 90. D. 378. D. 595. A. 744. A. 757. B The Saints in heaven pray for us 106. B Why they must not pray to Saints in the Church of Rome upon good Friday Easter and Whitsunday 485. D Whether they enjoy degrees of Glory in heaven 742. E Salvation of the generall possibility of Salvation for all men 66. B. 330. A. B. 742. B. C. D. Not to be ascribed to our Workes 107. D Nor to our Faith ibid. E More that are Saved than that are damned 241. A. 259. C The impossibility of Salvation to any man before hee was a man a discomfortable doctrine 278. B Of that certaintie of Salvation which is taught of some in the Roman Church and how farre we are from it 339. D. E. 340. A. 608. C Salvation offered to all men and in earnest 742. A. B Saviour the name of Saviour attributed to others beside Christ 528. D Scriptures the most eloquent Books that are 47. E 556. E. 557. C foure Elements of the right exposition and sense of Scripture 305. B Moderation in reading of them 323. C Scripures the only rule of Doctrine 738. E Secrecy in Confession commended but in case of disloyaltie 92. E. 575. E Seeing of God in our Actions how necessary 169. E Against Selfe-Subsistence or standing of our selves 240. A. B Against Selfe-Love 156. A Sermons how loth the Fathers were to lacke company at them 48. C Of preaching the same Sermons twice 114. C 250. C The danger of hearing Sermons without practising 455. C. D Sighing for sinne the benefit of it 537. D Sight the noblest of the sences and all the sences 225. B Signe of the Crosse wherefore used in the Primative times 538. A And why by us in baptisme ibid. Signes how they may be sought after and how not 15. B. C. D Shame for sinne a good signe 557. D To be voice-proofe not afraid nor Ashamed of what the World sayes of a Man an ill signe of a Spirituall obduration in sinne 589. A Silence the severall sorts of it Silence of Reverence 575. C Silence of subjection ibid. D
their Rule Audivistis ab antiquis says he you have heard heard by them of old but now I tel you otherwise So Audivimus ab antiquis we have heard and heard by them of old That the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ is so absolutely necessary as that Children were bound to receive it presently after Baptisme and that no man could be saved without it more then without Baptisme Maldon in Iohn 6.35 This we have heard and heard by them of old for we have heard S. Augustin to have said so and the practise of the Church for some hundreds of yeares to have said so So Audivimus ab antiquis We have heard and heard by them of old That the Saints of God departed out of this life after their resurrection and before their ascension into heaven shall enjoy all worldly prosperity and happinesse upon the earth for a thousand yeares This we have heard and heard by them of old for we have heard Tertullian say so and Ireneus and Lactantius and so many more as would make the balance more then even So also Audivimus ab antiquis We have heard and heard by them of old That in how good state soever they dye yet the souls of the departed do not see the face of God nor enjoy his presence till the day of Judgement This we have heard and from so many of them of old as that the voyce of that part is louder then of the other And amongst those reverend and blessed Fathers which straied into these errors some were hearers and Disciples of the Apostles themselves as Papias was a Disciple of S. Iohn and yet Papias was a Millenarian and expected his thousand yeares prosperity upon the earth after the Resurrection some of them were Disciples of the Apostles and some of them were better men then the Apostles for they were Bishops of Rome Clement was so and yet Clement was one of them who denied the fruition of the sight of God by the Saints till the Judgement And yet our Adversaries will enjoy their liberty to depart from all this which they have heard and heard from them of old in the mouths of these Fathers And where the Fathers are divided in two streames where all the Fathers few scarce any excepted till S. Augustine Histâ—â— Vossiâ— l. 7. Thes 8. so 538. c. Bemus ca. 26. Petetius Ro. 8. disp 22. placed the cause of our Election in Gods foresight and fore-knowledge of our faith and obedience and as generally after S. Augustin they placed it in the right Center that is onely in the free goodnesse and pleasure of God in Christ halfe the Roman Church goes one way and halfe the other for we may be bold to call the Jesuits halfe that Church And in that point the Jesuits depart from that which they had heard and heard of old from the Primitive Fathers and adhere to the later And their very heavy and very bitter adversaries the Dominicans apply themselves to that which they have heard of old to the first opinion In that point in the Roman Church they have Fathers on both sides but in a point where they have no Father where all the Fathers are unanimely and diametrally against them in the point of the Conception of the most blessed Virgin Canus Etsi omnes Sancti uno ore asseverent sayes a wise Author of theirs Though all the Ancient Fathers with one intire consent affirme that she was conceived in Originall sin Etsi nullus Author contravenerit sayes he Though no one ancient Author ever denyed it yet sayes he Infirmum est ex omnium patrum consensu argumentum Though our opinion have no ground in Scriptures that sayes he I confesse Though it bee no Apostolicall Tradition that sayes he I confesse yet it is but a weake argument sayes he that is concluded out of all the Fathers against it because It was a doctrine manifested to the Church but about five hundred yeares since and now for two hundred yeares hath beene well followed and embraced As the Jesuit Maldonat sayes in such another case whatsoever the ancient Fathers have thought or taught or said or writ that the marriage of Priests after Orders taken and chastity professed was a good marriage Contrarium nunc verum est whatsoever was true then the contrary is true now If then these men who take to themselves this liberty will yet say to me in some other points Si quo minus Surely if you were in the right some of the ancient Fathers would have told you so And then if I assist my selfe by the Fathers they will say Si quo minus If it were not otherwise some generall Councell would have told you so And againe if I support my selfe by a Councell Si quo minus if that Councell were to be followed some Pope would have confirmed that Councell And if I show that to have beene done yet they will say that that Confirmation reaches not to that Session of the Councell or not to that Canon of that Session or not to that period in that Canon or not to that word in that period And then of every Father and Councell and Session and Canon and period and word Ejus interpretatio est sensus Spiritus Sancti His sense and interpretation must be esteemed the Interpretation and the Sense of the Holy Ghost as Bellarmine hath concluded us why will they not allow me a juster liberty then that which they take That when they stop my prayers in their way to God and bid me turne upon Saints when they stop my faith in the way to Christ and bid me turne upon mine owne or others merits when they stop my hopes of Heaven upon my death-bed and bid me turne upon Purgatory That when as yet it is in debatement and disputation whether man can performe the Law of God or no they will multiply their Laws above the proportion of Moses Tables And when we have Primogenitum Ecclesiae The eldest son by the Primitive Church The Creed of the Apostles they will super-induce another son by another venter by a step-mother by their sick and crazy Church and as the way of step-mothers is will then make the portion of the later larger then the elders make their Trent-Creed larger then the Apostles That in such a case they will not allow me neither in my studies in the way nor upon my death-bed at mine end to hearken unto this voyce of my Saviour Si quo minus If it were not so I would have told you this is not onely to preclude the liberty but to exclude the duty of a Christian But the mystery of their Iniquity is easily revealed their Arcana Imperii the secrets of their State easily discovered All this is not because they absolutely oppose the Scriptures or stiffly deny them to be the most certain and constant rule that can be presented for whatsoever they pretend for their own Church or
with the Ancient Fathers 221. A. B. C Applause after Sermon given to the Primitive Fathers 48. D Applause of the people or popularity a dangerous and uncertaine thing not to be affected by any men especially not by the Clergie whom it usually deceiveth most ib. Approaches to Sinne how soone and easily they become Sinne 557. E Apostles why chosen out of simple fisher-men 719. C What things were called Apostles before Christs Apostles were so called 758 C Apostolicall Authority vainely claimed by the Pope 733. E Apostolicall Tradition what it is 781. E Articles of Faith how they are proved by Reason 178. A 611. D Atheist nothing so unnaturall as the Atheist 486. B Of the universall particular and practicall Atheist ibid. 487. A. B. vide 756. B. Authority of the Fathers not baulked by the Reformed Churches 557. A Though at the beginning of the Reformation our men were a little startled at it B. C B Balsame of the naturall Balsame in the body and in the soule 514. A Baptism of children how necessary 309. E. 425. B The Remembrance of our Baptisme a stop against sinne 310. A Christ why Baptised 425. A The Anabaptists argument against Baptisme of Children answered ibid. D The Baptisme of John whether the same with that of Christ 425. E The custome of late Baptising why tolerated in the Church 800. A Bees the manner of their working sub tecto 712. E Commended for their sedulity community secrecy and purity 713. A. B Beggers against ordinary Street-Beggers and relieving them Benedictines of their encrease and riches 602. E Benefactours and Founders their honorable commemoration and mention pleases God 85. D The Straights to which some of the Reformed Churches have been put about it ibid. The Benefits of this world seldom free 550. B Bishops not necessarily resident at their Sea 470. D Six thousand Bishops at one time in the Christian Church 471. A The passage between Athanasius and Dracontius who refused to be made a Bishop 471. D Bishop of Rome against his tyranny cruelty c. 284. B Against his Infallibility 698. C. 722. D His Imprisoning of the Holy Ghost 292. A His Universality 371. D Against his usurping Apostolicall Authority and not contenting himselfe with Episcopall 733. E Blasphemy not restrained to God alone other persons and things may be blasphemed 343. E No Blessing in this world without permanency and continuance 754. E Blessings of this world only Blessings in use 84. C How God blesseth man and man blesseth God 376. D Blessednesse what it is and what the Philosophers have thought of it 119. C. D. 752. A Whom Plato commanded the Poets and writers in his State to call Blessed 562. D. E That temporall Blessings doe not conduce at All to true Blessednesse 750. B The danger of Temporall Blessings without Spirituall 752. B What Plato thought Blessednesse 752. E Spirituall Blessednesse how it is superinduced upon Temporall as the reasonable soule upon that of sense 755. C. D Blood no Remission without it and why 6. D Christ shed it seven times 7. B The will the Blood of the Soule 7. A Blood taken for sin oftentimes in Holy Writ 132. A Bodies the Kingdome of heaven imperfect without them 145. A The little power we have over our own Bodies ibid. D Bodies glorified and their Dotes or Endowments 189. A. B Gods love to our Bodies 194. B. C Of sinning against our own Bodies by lust and licentiousnesse 195. D. E Bones what is meant by Bones in Scripture 516. C Bribery against it or receiving of Rewards 389. E Brothers the first enmity began in them 108. A Brownists their opinion that no particular Church may consist of more persons than may alwayes heare that man to whose charge that Church is given censured 471. C. D Building the Holy Ghost delights to use the name of Building and House 684. C Against Busy-bodies with other folks matters 721. E. 722. A Burthen how every thing even the least the Fly even the best as riches beauty comlinesse is a Burthen to us 664. C. D C CArd Cajetans reasons for not following the Judgement of the fathers in expounding Scripture 796. E. 79â— A. Calamities not to be jested at 478. E Not alwayes evidences of Gods displeasure ib. Calling the ordinary duties of our Calling not to be disputed but executed 41. A Such as are extraordinary may 42. A Against such as will take upon them no Calling 45. D. 411. B. 606. B How acceptable to God that labour is which is taken in an honest Calling 721. C Against Intruders and meddlers with other mens Callings ibid. E Calvin an approver of Ceremonies 80. D Candles the use of them in divine Service ancient 80. B Canonicall Houres no inconvenience in observing them so wee place no merit in them 596. D Catechizing the excellent use and benefit of it 250. A. 561. B. C. D. c. Cathedrall Churches why so called 115. C Censuring of Preachers and comparing one with another condemned 692. E Ceremonies of their antiquity and use 80. C They should differ from Mysteries ibid. Not hastily to be condemned ibid. E They are vehicula Religionis 300. B Against the Opposers of them ibid. How we are to love them 512. A Not to be disputed of by private men 575. C Changes of this world how many 481. D Of inconstancy and changing of minde 483. C Changes of sinne how dangerous 543. A Children of their love and duty to Parents 387 E CHRIST he came of women noted in Scripture for their incontinency 24. A He came to save All 26. C. 70. C. 66. B Learning at the height when hee was borne 72. C Whether hee was Man whilst in the Grave 157. A CHRIST his Death and Passion how necessary and how voluntary 7. D. 792. C Three remarkable Conjunctions at his Birth 11 B The world how full with expectation of it 21. D CHRIST shed blood seven times here on earth 7. B How effectually hee is present in the Sacrament 19. C His Incarnation no way so proper to deliver us as it 16. C His Humane Nature adunited to the Divine whether Impeccable 169. B The infinitnesse of his merits rather placed in Pacto than in Persona by the Schoole 179. B The difference betweene his Dying and other mens 272. E The severall Heresies concerning CHRIST 316. D CHRIST dyed for all men 741. E. 742. A. B Church the power of it in applying Christ to every particular soule 60. A The true Church which 61 A How soone multiplied and enriched 72. A. B The ten Persecutions of it 184 B. C The Church the ordinary place for knowledge and illumination of a Christian 228. A The Primitive Church how the whole world was bent against it 602. C The Church a Pillar and how 615. C What a losse it is to bee kept from Gods Church 664. A The care which God hath ever had of his Church 779. E Circle the proper Hieroglyphick of God and why 13.