us unto an holy calling Not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was given us through Christ Iesus before the World was It is true of all men that Christ said of his disciples non vos me elegistis yee have not chosen mee but I have chosen you yea God so preventeth us with his grace that hee findeth nothing past or to come whereby God chose us and bee reconciled unto us For who hath given unto him first that is provoked him by his good workes A lively example wee have in these two brethren Esau and Iacob both twinnes both inclosed in one wombe yet hee rejected the one and chose the other Non ex operibus not by workes but by him that calleth Deus coronat opera Rom. 9. 11. sua non merita nostra God crowneth his gifts not our merits Cui daret justus judex coronâ—â—â— nisi cui dedisset pater misericors indebitam gratiam To whom should the just Iudge give the crowne but unto whom the Father of Mercy giveth undeserved Grace And he addeth Ne dicas ideo electus sum quia credebam Aug. tract 86. in Iob. si enim credebas jam cum elegeras non ipse te sic judicium esset penos lutum non penes figulum Doe not say I am elected because I did beleeve for if thou diddest beleeve thou haddest now chosen him and not hee thee and so the Iudgement had beene in the power of the clay and not of the potter But heare what Christ saith Yee have not chosen mee but I have chosen you I say therefore with Saint Ambrose Iustitia nostra magis constat remissione peccatorum quam perfectione virtutum our righteousnesse consisteth more in the remission of our sinnes than in the perfection of our vertues Even as David declareth the blessednesse of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose Psal 32. 1 2. sin is covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne One Father saith thus when wee were not God made us when wee were sinners hee Iustified us when we were in prison hee freed us when wee were mortall hee glorified us Another Rom. 5. 1. Luke 4. 18. Rom. 8. 30. Father saith God by his Wisedome hath foreknowne us by his Gospell hee calleth us by his Faith hee justifieth us by his Iustice hee damneth us by his Grace he saveth us So that all is of his meere goodnesse and no cause to expostulate with God His Iudgements are just but yet secret Secret things saith Deut. 29. 29. Moses belong to the Lord our God but the things revealed belong unto Five signes of Election two internall us But if the Heavens declare the glory of God let us speake to his glory Secreta Dei sunt adoranda non scrutanda Secret things are to bee adored not searched It is not good to eate too Prov. 25. 27. much Hony so to search their owne glory is not glory It is reported of Augustine that being about to write his bookes of the Trinity hee was taught by a childe who laded the Sea into a little spoone to whom Augustine said that hee laboured in vaine for his little spoone could not containe the Sea To whom the child replied that his little Wisedome his shallow braine could not containe the depth of the Trinity But you will say how shall wee know our election that wee may bee comforted against all the assaults of Satan that wee may say with the sweet singer of Israel Though I should walke through the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no evill for thou art Psal 23. with mee thy rod and thy staffe shall comfort mee And with Paul I 2 Tim. 4. 6 7. 8 have fought a good fight I have kept the Faith I have finished my course from hence forward there is laid up for mee a crowne of glory which the Lord will give mee at that day and not to mee onely but unto all them also that love his appearing I answere that no man can bee deceived in the state of his election but hee that deceiveth himselfe for wee may know whether wee stand in the state of Grace or no. Danaeus maketh Danaeus in Isagog five signes of election As the comming of the Swallow is a signe of the Spring as the putting forth of the figge-tree is a signe of Summer as the whitenesse of the region is a signe of Harvest So there bee many undoubted signes of our election 1 The first is the inward testimony of Gods Spirit the seale and earnest-penny of our Salvation For it is God that hath Sealed us and hath given us the Earnest of his Spirit in our 2 Cor. 1. 22. hearts The Apostle compareth the Word to a writing the Spirit to a seale that ratifieth all Clamat in nobis Abba the same Rom. 8. 16. Gal. 4. 6. Luke 11. 11. Spirit beareth witnesse to our Spirit that wee are the children of God And because wee are Sonnes God hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts which cryeth Abba Father And if God be our Father how can wee doubt of our inheritance If wee aske Fish he will not give us a Serpent If Heaven he will not give us Hell 2 The second signe is our faith which is knowne by the effects as the Eagle by her feathers as the tree of Life by the fruits of it Thus Paul bade the Corinths try their faith Prove your selves whether yee are in the Faith examine your selves c. Qui 2 Cor. 13. 5. credit salvabitur he that beleeveth shall bee saved and this faith may be knowne to us if wee will search our selves Christ asked Mar. 16. 16. Iohn 8. the woman taken in Adultery where her accusers were So aske thy heart where thy sinnes are and if thou doest beleeve it will say with the woman that they are all gone Qui enim credit transit Three externall signes of Election a morte ad vitam Hee that beleeveth in him is passed from death to life for all that are borne of God overcommeth the World And this is the victory that overcommeth the World even our Faith Iohn 3. 1 Iohn 5. 4. Hereupon Paul triumpheth over Death Hell Hunger Cold Nakednesse Perill Sword and concludeth That neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Power nor Things present nor Things to come nor Height nor Depth nor any other Creature Rom. 8. 38 39. shall bee able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. 3 The third signe is the conformity of our will to Gods will to love that which God loveth and to hate that which God hateth therefore wee pray that Gods will may bee done on Earth as it is in Heaven He that doth the will of God shall abide Mat. 6. for ever
staves end of God for wages it is Death not Life Hell not Heaven Paines not joyes For the wages of sinne is death that Rom. 6. 23. which God doth for us is a gift not a stipend It is hee that must give us an inheritance among them that are sanctified So Christ said Act. 20. 32. It is your Fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome Gift is free gift and Luk. 12. 32. desert they are as opposite as the Tropickes and cannot stand together wee have not chosen Christ but he hath chosen us hee Iohn 15. 18. gave the occasion not we it is mercy not merit grace not nature favour not debt that wee must challenge For by grace are wee saved through faith and that not of our selves it is the gift of Ephes 2. 8 9. God not of Works lest any man should boast himselfe so said Marie His mercy is on them that feare him yet our feare is defective wee can Luk 1. 50. claime nothing but mercy the Canaanite craved but mercy O Lord thou sonne of David have mercy on me Cui daret justus Iudex coronam Mat. 15. 22. Aug. nisi cui dedisset Pater misericors gratiam To whom should the just Iudge give the Crowne but unto whom the mercifull Father hath given grace Gratia non invenit sed fecit nos eligendos Grace hath not found us but hath made us to be chosen Cum Deus coronat merita tua nihil aliud coronat nisi munera sua When God crowneth our merits he crowneth nothing else but his owne gifts Blasphemous therefore is the saying of Dorbel Quòd Deus Coelum carè vendit Three sorts of merits Congrui Digni Condigni amicis quod ipsi carè emunt That God selleth heaven deare to his friends and they buy it deare some travell thither by the foote-path of righteousnesse as the Prophets some by the foote-path of cleannesse as virgins some by the foote-path of repentance as the Confessors some by the foote-path of affliction as the Martyrs some by the foote-path of poverty as the Apostles some by the foote-path of hospitality as the Patriarches But God selleth not heaven he giveth it freely We are Rom. 3. 24. justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus Lex data est ut gratia quaereretur the Law was given that grace should bee sought gratia data est ut lex impleretur and grace is given that the Law might be fulfilled for All is of grace Abraham in his faith David in his godlinesse Iob in his patience Rom. 11. Salomon in his wisdome Elias in his zeale cannot stand before God If thou ô Lord markest iniquity O Lord who shall stand Where Psal 130. 3. the Prophet sheweth that we cannot be just before God by merit but by mercy in the forgivenes of our sinnes therfore saith S. Iude Looke for the mercies of our Lord Iesus Christ unto eternall life But to face out this mercy of God the Papists have found out three sorts of merits Meritum congrui digni condigni Merit of congruity they call those preparations that are before grace and to this end they alledge Cornelius who was a devout man and Act. 10. 2. one that feared God with all his houshold and gave much almes to the people and prayed God continually And yet his prayer and almes did proceed from that sparke of faith that hee had in Christ not from any worke of nature Meritū digni as when a just man prayeth for an unjust as Iob Daniel for the Iewes of whose prayer God saith thus When the land sinneth against me by cōmitting a trespasse then will I stretch out my hand Ezech. 14. 13 14. upon it and will breake the staffe of the bread thereof I will send famine upon it c. And though these three men Noah Daniel Iob were among them they shoul deliver but their owne soules by their righteousnesse saith the Lord God Whereas it is spoken but by way of supposition Meritum condigni be works of supererogation Loud words of Lewd blasphemy too proud words for either men or Angels For no worke of it selfe is pure and can stand before God Quis dabit mundum de immundo Who can bring a cleane thing out of Iob 14. 4. filthinesse The Heavens are not cleane in his sight much lesse men He found folly in his Angels how much more in us that dwell in Iob 15. Iob 4. 18 19. houses of clay This Moses often inculcated to Israel lest they should presume of their righteousnes and thinke themselves exalted by it Speake not thou in thy heart saith Moses For my righteousnesse the Lord hath brought me in to possesse the land for thou entrest not Deut. 9. 4 5. to inherit their land for thy righteousnes or for thy upright heart but for the wickednesse of those nations c. The Lord giueth not thee this good land to possesse for thy righteousnesse for thou art a stiffenecked people And hee maketh a Catalogue of their vices how in the wildernesse in Horeb and in many other places they provoked the No merit of condignity but in Christ Lord to anger you were never good neither egge nor bird quoth Moses Merit of condignity is an action belonging to such a nature as is both God and man not to a bare creature for the Angels themselves cannot merit any thing at Gods hand for they are said to be elected now election is by grace otherwise salvation 1 Tim. 6. Rom. 11. 5. is in the power of the clay not of the potter Yea Adam also if he had stood could have merited nothing of God seeing it is the bounden duty of every creature to obey the Creatour For wee are his workemanship created unto Christ Iesus unto good workes Ephes 2. 10. which God hath ordeyned that wee should walke in them If we do good works yet doe wee but our duety the merit therefore of condignity doth onely agree to Christ God and man whom each nature doth to the effecting of this merit that which belongeth unto it for the humanity doth minister matter to the merit by suffering and performing obedience the Deity of Christ unto which the humanity is hypostatically united doth conferre full and sufficient worthinesse to the worke Hereupon came the voice This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased For God was never pleased in any but in Christ For wee are all by nature the Mat. 3. 17. Ephes 2. 3 4 5. children of wrath but God which is rich in mercy through the great love wherewith hee loved us even when wee were dead by sinnes hath quickned us together in Christ by whose grace yee are saved Againe that a worke may bee meritorious there must bee a proportion betwixt that and eternall life but eternall life is infinite our merits are finite Now a finite worke
Ioram fell to idolatry Hilary did beleeve the Church rather hidde for hee could not see it flourishing and he said that the mountaines the woods the prisons and the whirlepooles were safer than the temples for these are his owne words Montes lucus carceres voragines sunt tutiores quà m templa Arrianisme so prevailed at that time Hierome said Ingemuit totus mundus Arrianum se esse miratus est That 〈◊〉 the whole world wept and wondred that it was become an Arrian Peters little ship was now indangered the windes tost her the waves beat her on the sides little hope but was at the point of sinking but at the last the Lord did arise commanded the winds and the tempest ceased and a calme succeeded and all the Bishops which were exiled were called home againe then Aegypt received his Athanasius triumphing then France embraced Hilary returning from warre then was Antioch gladde at the returne of Chrysostome and Italy threw off her mourning garments at the returne of Eusebius I know that Canus calleth these speeches hyperbolicall of Hilary and Hierome but that is but his hyperbolicall lye This is the common Inne wherein the Papists lodge most of our objections but I reason thus Eadem est ratio totius quae est singulornus membrorum At singula membra possunt cadere Ergo totum corpus The same reason is of the whole which is of every particular member But every particular member may fall The Pope may erre Therefore the whole body The epistles of the Bishops were corrected by Councels provinciall and the Provinciall Councels by the generall and the former generall Councels by those that came afterward saith Augustine Ecclesiam Dei finaliter errare nego that the Church of Aug. lib. 2. de Baptism 1. Iohn 3. God can finally erre I deny for hee that is of God sinneth not and Christ telleth us that there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders so that if it were possible they should deceive the very elect if it were possible but unpossible that they should finally be deceived Here the great question is decided Num Papa potest in fide deficere whether the Pope can faile in faith because hee is the whole Church Virtualiter To this wee object Pope Iohn the 22. That hee erred because hee affirmed and held that the soules of the righteous did not see God till the day of judgement which heresy of his was condemned at Paris with the blast of trumpers and we say that Câ—lestine erred when hee held that marriage was dissolved if either of them meaning the man or wife fell into heresy and Gregory when writing to Augustine of Canterbury he said that the husband might marry another wife Si mulier non possit debitum maâ—iâ—o reddere Saint Ambrose in a certaine Sermon of his dicit Petrum fidem sum perdidisse saith Ambr. ser 47. that Saint Peter lost his faith If Peter failed certenly his successors may faile To these Canus answereth that Iohn the 22. and the rest erred personally not judicially to Ambrose his speech hee saith Fides capitur pro fidelitate that faith is there taken for fidelity illam ergo non fidem amisit it was that hee lost namely his fidelity not his faith and he further addeth Papam haeredem esse Petri privilegiorum non culparum that the Pope was the heire of Peters priviledges not of his offences To conclude with Canus all come to this point Bishops Fathers Councels The Popes Legates in Councels may erre for Christ prayed not for Peters Legates but for Peter himselfe quoth the Cardinall of Ture Immo Papam errare posse sed moribus yea the Pope may erre but yet in manners not in faith yea the Pope may erre in faith personaliter non judicialiter personally not judicially quoad factum non quoad fidem as touching facts not as touching faith as Sixtus 4. which taught Catherinam Senensem stigmata non habuisse where hee erred as touching the history not as touching faith and they all affirme that the Pope may erre in his gallery not in his Consistory which is a monstrous answere as though Christ had prayed for the place the walles not for the person as if faith were in the walles not in the heart But if the Pope dye in an heresy though never holden in his Consistory as Iohn the two and twentieth did let them tell mee in what state hee dieth Corde creditur ad justitiam With Rom. 10. the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse shall they give The Papists distinctions how the Pope may erre and not erre nice and frivolous us such drosse for gold such chaffe for corne suth lees for wine Shall they build such stubble upon the foundation Ignis probabit the fire shall trie it Let God and man judge of this answere 1 Cor. 3. THE NINE AND THIRTIETH SERMON VERS XXIIII And to present you faultlesse before the presence of his glory with ioy Wee must bee presented blamelesse before God THis is the second thing hee prayeth for as touching this life that God shall present them faultlesse Wee shall bee pure and perfect without fault without spot or wrinkle Nam nil Apot. 21. 27. immundum intrabit c. No uncleane thing shall passe thorow the gates of the new Ierusalem To this end God hath elected us before the foundation of the World That wee should bee holy Ephes 1. 4. and without blame before him in love Hitherto tendeth Pauls prayer Now the very God of Peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit soule and body 1 Thess 5. 23. may bee kept blamelesse untill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ Wee are said to be faultlesse blamelesse and without spot not that wee are without sinne but because God imputes not our sinnes unto us So Saint Paul would have a Bishop sine crimine without fault non dicit sine peccate hee doth not say without sinne for no man is sine peccato without fault though many be sine crimine without offensive fault and yet sine peccate sumus wee are without sinne without fault quia non imputatur nothis because it is not imputed to us Whereupon David Blessed is Psal 32. 2. the man to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne If therefore the Papists should cry all the day long and all their life long Beatus qui Wee are righteous by imputation of Christs righteousnesse timet Deum Blessed is he that feareth God Beatus qui miseretur pauperibus Blessed is hee that considereth the poore and needie Beatus qui operatur justitiam Blessed is he that worketh righteousnesse Beatus qui loquitur verè Blessed is he that speaketh truly for Psal 112. 1. Psal 42. 1. Psal 119. Esa 33. 15. he shall dwell on high his defence shal be the munitions of the rockes bread shall bee given him
God imputeth righteousnesse but yet in the righteousnesse of Christ not in an inherent righteousnesse of our owne as hee is said to have paid the money to his creditour who paid it by another though himselfe was not able And unto this end the Apostle saith that wee are justified freely by his grace through the redemption Rom. 4 5 6 7 8. that is in Christ Iesus To the place in the Romanes where Paul saith But to him that worketh not but beleeveth in him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse even as David declared the blessednesse of that man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works saying Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sinnes are covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not the sin Bellarmine answereth that Paul setteth not downe a full definition of justification For sinne is not remitted saith he except righteousnesse bee infused but yet inchoated onely not perfected and yet the comparison holdeth not betwixt the infusion of light into the ayre and the infusion of righteousnesse into a man similia illustrant non probant similies doe illustrate a thing but prove not Bellarmine argueth from the comparison betwixt Adam and Christ Per Adae peccatum inhaerens peccatores sumus By Rom. 5. the inhaerent sinne of Adam we are sinners therefore per infusionem inhaerentis justitiae justi sumus by infusion of inhaerent righteousnesse wee are righteous I answere that the argument followeth not the comparison holdeth not in the inherence of sinne or righteousnesse but in the adoption or getting From Adam wee have gotten sinne naturally but from Christ supernaturally by faith by which the righteousnesse of Christ is imputed unto us Bellarmine reckoneth up many things which be necessary to salvation out of the second Epistle of S. Peter the first Chapter as how we must joyne Vertue 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. with Faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and with brotherly kindnesse Good works the way not the cause of the Kingdome of Heaven love But hee doth detorquere writhe and bow the question another way and to another end For wee doe not exclude good works simply from the obtaining of salvation sunt enim via regni non causa regnandi they are the way to Gods Kingdome not the cause of our ruling and reigning in Gods Bern. Kingdome but from the obtaining of righteousnes For it is onely Christs righteousnesse that maketh us righteous before God for hee is our wisdome and righteousnesse and holinesse and redemption wisdome to instruct us righteousnes to justify us holines to sanctify us and redemption to free us Hee reasoneth thus Faith without Love doth not justify Therefore faith alone doth not justify for faith worketh by love Gal. 5. I deny the Confequence For though faith bee not alone without other vertues yet it justifieth alone as the hand of the writer is not alone but hath other members adjoyned unto it yet it writeth alone as the eye is not alone and yet it seeth alone and the eare is not alone and yet it heareth alone and yet to speake properly faith doth not justify it is a Metonymicall speech for to speake properly the righteousnes of Christ apprehended by faith justifieth us faith as the principall cause doth not justify us sed ut causa instrumentalis but as the instrumentall cause non per modum dispositionis sed per modum apprehensionis not by the manner of disposition but by the manner of apprehension For although it doth dispose unto good workes yet it doth not justify in respect of that but in respect of the object which is Christ For the blood of Iesus 1 Iohn 1. 7. Christ Gods Sonne clenseth us from all sinne But Iustification saith hee is motus à peccato ad justitiam a moving from sinne to righteousnesse as illumination is a moving from darkenes to light I grant sed non adjustitiam inhaerentem not unto inherent or infused righteousnesse but imputative Hee argueth that things are denominated from the internall not the externall forme as we call an Aethiopian blacke though he have a white garment on him quia nigredo est illi insita because blacknes is naturally graffed in him Ergo nos justos dici à justitia intra nos non extra nos Therefore wee are said to bee righteous of the righteousnesse that is within us not without us I answere This is true in Philosophy but false in Divinity Here we may say with Paul Beware lest there bee any man that spoile you through Col. 2. ◠philosophy Philosophy may bee used so as shee be content to be a servant not a mistris but when men measure all doctrine by humane reason and philosophicall positions as Bellarmine here doth then Philosophy is to be taken heed of Howlet in the fifth part of his resolution confesseth that works are not the causes of salvation but the path that leadeth Papists at death fly to Gods mercy in Christ and not to merit to salvation the fruits and effects of faith as Christ saith Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorify your Father which is in Heaven That Paul speaking of the cause of Iustification saying wee conclude that Mat. 5. 16. Rom. 3. 18. a man is justified by faith without the workes of the Law is not contrary to Iames speaking of the notes and signes of Iustification saying Yee see then how that of workes a man is justified and not of faith onely This truth God extorted from him as also Iam. 2. 24. from Stephen Gardiner who confessed this at his death but would not have it preached to the people Open that doore quoth hee and then farewell all Hee would bee wiser than God Mounser also granted it and cried Solus Christus solus Christus Christ alone Christ alone And so Sherwin a seminary Priest executed for treason with Campian and others at Tiborne when hee was in the cart ready to dye though he held himselfe a martyr for the Catholike faith acknowledged nowithstanding ingenuously the miseries imperfections and corruptions of his owne vile nature relying wholly upon Christ cried out at his death O Iesus Iesus Iesus bee to mee a Iesus And Bellarmine cites often in his workes out of Augustine Domus Dei credendo fundatur sperando exigitur diligendo perficitur the foundation of Gods house in our soules is faith the walles hope the roofe charity If faith bee the foundation of all other vertues as himselfe affirmes and if it bee our safest Lib. 1. de Rom. Pont. cap. 10. De Iustificatione lib. 5. Cap. 7. course to repose our whole trust in the onely mercy of God Propter incertitudinem propriae justitiae periculum inanis gloriae tutissimū est fiduciam totam in
Et ecce mactant boves oves They fall to killing of sheepe and Esa 22. 12 13. slaying of oxen eating flesh and drinking wine eating and drinking for to morrow we shall dye They turne praying into playing fasting into feasting mourning into mumming almesdeeds into misdeeds As Xerxes being weary of all pleasures promised rewards to the inventers of new pleasures which being invented Ipse tamen non fuit contentus he himselfe was not satisfied was not content The word here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is derived from a towne in Pisidia called Selge built by the Lacedaemonians where all were temperate and not one drunkard the contrary whereof is named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lasciousnesse such men sinne with an high hand All sin but these men sinne presumptuously they never pray with David Keepe thy servant from presumptuous sinnes Sinne in them raigneth Psal 19. not dwelleth contrary to the rule of the Apostle Let not sinne Rom. 6. 12. 2 Cor. 10. Ephes 4. 19. Esa 5. raigne in your mortall bodie that yee should obey it in the lusts thereof they walke not after the spirit but after the flesh they commit sinne with greedinesse they draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sinne as it were with cartropes But man with man will not reason so the sonne with his Fathers the servant with his master the subject with his Prince will the servant be vile and unfaithfull because his master is courteous unto him Absit God forbid Here I must answer one slander or challenge of the Papists they call us Libertines as Howlet and others but they take upon them to iudge betwixt us and the Libertines as the Asse tooke upon him to judge between the Cuckow the Nightingale of all others the Asse might worst doe it and of all others they may worst do it seeing most of their doctrines tend to libertie proving all men to sinne by their pardons and indulgences saying that holy water doth take away sinne that the signe of the Crosse driveth away the Divell calling with Alexander whordome adulterie incest Peccadilla little sinnes excusing the Popes theft as the theft of Israel his drunkennesse as that of Exod. 11. Gen. 9. Iudg. 15. Noah his murders as those of Samsons All their doctrines tend to libertie as their doctrine of ignorance to be the mother of devotion the doctrine of auricular confession which some learned call the Popes fishing net the doctrine of Purgatorie which Popish Doctrine tend to liberty others call the Popes milch Cow or the soule or panche of the Masse their doctrine of satisfactions that a man may be delivered out of hell by the satisfaction of others as was Traian the Pagane Emperor by the prayer and almes of Gregory What naturall man under heaven would not sinne if hee knew that the Pope could give him pardon that hee could free him from hell and purgatory So that truly if I were not a Protestant I would be a Papist if I respected the pleasure of the flesh THE NINTH SERMON VERS IV. And deny God the onely Lord and our Lord Iesus God is denyed many wayes SAint Iude having described the wicked by their hypocrisie that They creepe into the Church and by their Atheisme For hee saith they were Vngodly men and by their Licenciousnesse saying They turne the grace of God into wantonnesse hee commeth now fourthly to describe them by their Blasphemy That they deny God the onely Lord and our Lord Iesus Christ Now there bee many wayes to deny God as to deny his Attributes his Power Providence Iustice Mercy Truth Strength Eternity for these be the names of God and of the essence of God and these are denyed in the lives of most men Some deny his Power as the Proud do some his Providence as the Infidels some his Iustice as the Impenitent some his Mercy as the Desperate some his Truth as Lyars and perjured men some his Strength as the Fearefull doe Of the first sort was Pharaoh of the second sort were the Israelites of the third sort were the Libertines of the fourth was Caine the fifth were Zedeohia and the house of Saul of the last were the Iewes Pharaoh asked Who is God that Exod. 5. 2. Psal 78. 19 20 21. I should let Israel goe The Israelites distrusted God for bread Can God quoth they prepare a Table in the Wildernesse behold hee smote the Rock that the water gushed out the streames overflowed Can hee give bread also and prepare flesh for his people Of the third sort Outward professiō nothing without inward integritie were the Libertines Which turne the grace of God into wantonnesse Of the fourth sort was Cain my sin is greater than can bee forgiven Vpon whom Augustine replyeth finely Mentiris Cain mentiris in gutture major est Dei misericordia Cain thou lyest thou lyest in thy Iude 4. Gen. 4. Aug. throat greater is Gods Mercy than any mans Iniquity of the fifth was Zedechias who forswore himselfe and had therfore first his children slaine before his Face then his own eyes put out and lastly he was carryed away prisoner into Babylon of the last sort were the Iews who relyed upon the Egyptians Now who offendeth 2 Reg. 25. Esa 31. not in one of these or most of these But especially wee deny God in our lives in our deeds thus the Cretians deny him They professed they knew God but by workes they did deny him and were abominable disobedient and unto every Tit. 1. 16. Tit. 2. 3. 5. good worke reprobate and so are we wee have a shew of Godlinesse but wee have denyed the Power thereof I say of Professors as Paul said of the Iewes He is not a Iew that is one outward neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh but hee is a Iew that is Rom. 2. 28. 29. one within and the Circumcision of the heart is the true Circumcision So hee is not a Christian that is one outward but hee is a Christian that is one within that serveth God in Spirit and in Truth And if wee will serve God truly these Divels must be cast out of us that are in us and wee must say unto them as Christ said to Peter Come behinde me Sathan videl the Divels of Avarice Pride Envie Malice c. Which have filled our hearts Mat. 16. 23 as they filled the heart of Andnias The profession of God is knowne by the fruits of it as fire is discerned by the smoke that commeth out of the Chimney as life is discerned by the motion of Man On the contrary if a man would perswade us Act. 5. 3. that there is fire where as there is no heat or that there were life in a carcasse that never moved wee would not beleeve him so beleeve not him that speaketh of God and liveth not in God This is an Axiom in Divinitie that all Adulterers Swearers Theeves Vsurers deny God
of men and yet no cause of that evill Another useth this Simile That as in cutting with a bad knife the cutting is of my selfe but the evill cutting is of the knife So the action is of God but the evill of the action is of our selves Augustine affirmeth Deum per malos agere Lipsius August in Enchiridion ad Laurentium that God worketh by evill men Deus enim inquit ille jussit Shemei Davidimaledicere for God saith he commanded Shemei to curse David Againe he saith In peccato peccatoris nihil esse positivum sed privativum In the sin of a sinner nothing is positive but privative So God is said to make blind whom he inlightneth not to harden whom he softeneth not and to reprobate whom he calleth not effectually But I will conclude this point with the saying of two worthy men Augustine and Fulgentius Augustine The causes of Reprobation are hidden but iust saith thus Deus operatur in cordibus hominum ad inclinandas voluntates eorum quocunque vult sive ad bona pro sua misericordia sive ad mala pro ipsorum meritis God worketh in the hearts of men to incline their wils to whatsoever hee will either to good things by his mercy or to evill by their deserts And Fulgentius saith thus Deus licet author non sit malarum cogitationum ordinator est tamen malarum voluntatum de malo opere cujuslibet mali non desinit ipse bonum operari Although God be not the Author of evill cogitations yet is hee the orderer of evill wils and of the evill worke of every evill man hee ceaseth not to worke a good worke Beza hath three Aphorismes against Castellio Primùm causas reprobationis esse à nobis absconditas sed tamen justas alioquin judicium esset penes lutum non penes figulum First the causes of reprobation are hid from us yet they bee just otherwise the judgement were in the power of Clay not of the Potter Secondly Deum non simpliciter creare quenquam ad exitium that God not simply hath created any to destruction but the causes 1 Hosca 13. 2 Pet. 2. of destruction are of himselfe Perditio tua ex te O Israel thy destruction is of thy selfe O Israel and the Apostle saith that the wicked perish through their owne corruption Thirdly Deum non spectare reproborum exitium ut ultimum finem sed gloriam suam quae in eorum justa condemnatione lucet that God beholdeth not the destruction of the wicked as the last end but his glory which shineth most brightly in their condemnation As Salomon saith The Lord hath made all things for his glory even the wicked for the day of evill So that the justice of God shall appeare to his glory even in the destruction of the wicked The second opinion is of them Qui dicunt Deum omnia permittere sed non velle which say that God permits and suffers all things but hee willeth not all things but God saith that it is his will and that nothing is done without his will Our God saith Psal 115. 3. Psal 135. 6. David is in heaven hee doth whatsoever hee will No impediment can let his worke but hee useth even the impediments to serve his will And whatsoever hee willeth that doth hee in Heaven and in Earth in the Sea and in all deepe places That appeareth in the affliction of Iob Satan envied Iob and the Chaldees robbed him Iob 1. 1 Reg. 22. yet Iob said Dominus dedit dominus abstulit the Lord hath given and the Lord hath taken away In the deceiving of Achab the Divell is sent of God to bee a lying spirit in the mouthes of the foure hundred Prophets Si ista execatio est Dei nudum permissionis figmentum evanescit If this execation bee the judgement of God this bare and naked figment of permission must vanish as smoke and as the untimely fruit of a woman An earthen pitcher shall drive away the Madianites Trumpets of Rammes hornes shall blow downe the wals of Iericho a peble stone shall God worketh by evill men and not in them overthrow the great Goliah that is the scripture shall overthrow the conceit the imagination and fiction of bare permission As Iael with one nayle stroke Sisera to the ground so will I with one example beate downe the paper-wals of this opinion Absalom defiled his fathers bed and committed a notable villany yet God calleth it his worke Verba enim Dei sunt they are Gods owne words Tufecisti occultè ego vero palam coram 2 Sam. 16. hoc Sole thou hast done it secretly but I openly before this Sun To strengthen this for Vis unita fortior The Iewes Pilate Herod crucified Christ yet the Apostle said that they did nothing but that which the hand and counsell of God had decreed And yet againe Act. 4. that a threefold cable may not easily bee broken the Ier. 5 cruelty of the Chaldees in Iudaea Ieremy calleth the worke of God In which since Nebuchadnezzar is called Servus Dei the servant of God and God calleth the King of Assyria the rod of his wrath Esa 10. I doe but crop some few examples of millions and infinite that might bee alleaged Nothing is clearer than these speeches that God blindeth men that he giveth them the spirit of slumber Esa 29. Exod. 9. Rom. 1. 28. that hee hardeneth their hearts and so is hee said to have hardned Pharoahs heart and to give men up into a reprobate sense And of the inhabiters of Canaan Moses said that God hardneth their hearts to fight against the Church And Paul calleth the wisedome of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These bee not matters of reason but of faith Et ubi fides incipit ratio desinit where Ios 11. Ephes 3. 10. Ambr. faith beginneth reason endeth But I answere with Calvin that though God willeth all things yet hee neither commandeth nor compelleth the wicked Though God would revenge the Adultery of David by the Incest of Absalom yet God neither commanded nor compelled him which freeth God The third opinion is of them that say all things come to passe by Gods providence that our actions as they proceed from God are just and as they come of our selves unjust Hereupon Beza distinguisheth thus Deum agere in bonis per bonos that God worketh in good men and by good men Per malos vero 1 parte quaesâ—ionum agere at non in malis and that hee worketh by evill men but not in evill men In his enim duntaxat agit quos spiritu suoregit Hee worketh in them onely whom he ruleth by his spirit In malis igitur non agit aliquid hee worketh not therefore in evill men Ephes 2. 2. for Satan not God worketh in them And Master Calvin against the Libertines produceth two exceptions Primò sic Deum agere periniquos
comparative and the superlative and all good Accedens ad flumen tantum haurit quantum urna capere potest A man comming unto the river or fountaine he draweth as much as his vessell will hold the defect or want is not in the flood or fountaine but in the vessell so draw from Christ from his word and Sacraments as Rebecca out of the well of Iacob there is no defect in Christ or in the word and Sacraments but in the vessell the heart that doth not beleeve Accede aegrotus sanaberis debilis confortaberis famelicus satiaberis Come thou sicke man and thou shalt bee healed Esa 55. thou weake one and thou shalt be strengthened thou hungry one and thou shalt be satisfyed But come Non pedibus corporis sed cordis not with the feet of thy body but of thy heart Non ambulando sed credendo not in walking but in beleeving Faith is Illuminatio mentis the light of the minde Infidells are blind and shall not see heaven they are filii irae children of Luk 15. Act. 15. wrath and they that beleeve not cannot be saved Faith is Gods gate whereby God enters into our soule the light that found the lost groate the purifier of our heart the conqueror in the race the pole-starre for the sayler the life of the soule and by Faith Christ dwells in our hearts O help us Lord wee beleeve ô help our unbeleefe he must beleeve that comes to God and as is our faith so is our blessing faith is the victory that overcometh the world O Lord increase our faith The second example used for Confirmation of his former proposition That we must strive for faith is taken from Gods vengeance upon the Angels who because they kept not their estate but left their habitation he hath reserved in everlasting chaines of darkenesse to the Iudgement of the great day So that here in these Angels Observe First Their sinne Secondly Their punishment Thy sinne of these Angels I will not precisely discusse their sinne like Adams sinne was not alone but many First there was pride in them as it appeareth by Pauls words to Timothie where handling the office of a Minister among other 2 Tim. 3. 6. things he would not have him to bee a young scholler Lest hee being puffed up fall into the condemnation of the Divell that is lest being proud of his degree hee bee likewise condemned as the Divell was for lifting up himselfe by pride so that it is manifest What was the Angels sinne that pride was the sinne of the Angels But besides pride there were many other sinnes in them as Infidelity Ingratitude Envy and Rebellion Denique quid non to conclude what not not one vice but many even a troope an armie of sinnes For sinnes are like Pismires in a moll-hill like Bees in an hive like Motes in the Sunne there are many ever together not one sinne alone they grow like clusters of grapes sinne is like the linke of a chaine take hold of one linke and draw the whole chaine so take hold of one sinne and draw a number Other things concerning Angels as their names their number their orders I dare not define 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let us bee Rom. 12. 3. Iob 4. 18. 1 Tim. 3. 6. 2 Pet. 2. 4. Psal 78. 49. Iohn 8. 44. Wisd 2. 24. wise unto sobriety Iob nameth folly or pravity in the Angels as if that were their sinne Paul nameth pride Peter onely calleth it their sinne Asaph calleth them evill but noteth not the kindes of of their evill what the evill or sinne was which they committed Christ nameth murther to be their sinne and saith That the Divell was a murtherer from the beginning The Wise man nameth envie Iude here nameth Apostasie but the time the manner and the circumstance of their fall is not plainely expressed in the Scripture and in that they are not it teacheth us Sapere ad sabrietatem not to presume to understand above that which is meete to understand but Rom. 12. 3. Pro. 25. 27. Ro. 11. 33. Col. 1. 18. that we understand according to sobriety Too much honie is not good who hath knowne the minde of the Lord Many are puffed up with a fleshly minde as though with Moses God had revealed to them the Creation of the world as though with Stephen they had seene Gen. 1. Act. 6. 2 Cor. 12. Apoc. 1. Ezra 4. the heavens open as though with Paul they had beene lifted up to the third Paradise as if the Angell had talked with them as he did with Iohn in Pathmos and with Ezras in Ierusalem Such are Holcot Briccot Dionysius Areopagita whom they call Aquilam seu volucrem Coeli the Eagle or bird of heaven and make nine orders of Angels but no man hath so tasted Ionathans honie combe but he may see and oversee many things in this and in all other questions If any man aske what Angels be I say that they be spirits of essence but having neither body nor soule For they differ from bodies in that they have no flesh from soules in perspicuity understanding what the soule cannot Indeed they sometimes take bodies unto them as the Angell that appeared to Abraham Mat. 22. 30. Gen. 18. Iudg. 13. Mat. 26. to Manoahs wife to Marie So that in respect of their essence they are called spirits and as the Apostle speaketh Ministring spirits but in respect of their office they are called Angels Wherupon David He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes Angell is a name of office not of nature Some make them of a fiery nature as Hemingius in his Enchiridion I see no soundnesse in it For sometime they have their denomination from heat as the Seraphins sometime for knowledge and brightnesse The Apostacy of the Angels irrecoverable as the Cherubins sometime they have appeared in a firy nature so they appeared to Elisha and his servant for the mountaine was full of Chariots and horses of fire that is Angels to defend them from the Syrians And so againe while Elias and Elisha Esay 6. 2 Reg. 6. 17. 2 Reg. 2. 11. Psal 114. went walking and talking together Behold there appeared a Chariot of fire and horses of fire and did separate them twaine And David saith He maketh his spirits his Messengers and a flaming fire his Ministers And as they have appeared in these formes so have they appeared in other formes also as pleaseth the Creator but to leave this The sinne of Angels is notorious and their punishment is as famous they are falne from light to darkenesse from Heaven to hell from felicity to misery Valerian fell from a golden chaire to a cage of iron Dionysius fell from a King to a Schoolemaster Alexander the third fell from being Pope to be a Gardener in Venice Nabuchadnezzar fell from a man to a beast but the celestiall Dan. 4. spirits
man and woman are as fire and stubble diabolus sufflare non cessat ut accendatur the divell never leaveth blowing till it be kindled For the lips of a strange woman drop as an hony-combe and her mouth is more soft than oyle but the end of her is as bitter as Wormewood and sharpe as a two-edged sword her feet goe downe Pro. 5. 3 4 5. to death and her steps take hold of hell All her doings lead to destruction Si sanctus es non tamen securus es if thou be sanctified yet be not secure For He hath overcome the wisest as Salomon the strongest as Sampson the fairest as Absalom the holiest as 1 Reg 11. Iudg. 15. 1 Sam. 16. 1 Sam. 16. 2 Sam. 12. Gen. 2. Iob. 31 9. David the faithfullest as Abraham and surely thou art a happy man if thou hast not fallen downe at any time under this sinne if thou canst protest with Iob If my heart hath been deceived by a woman or if I have laid wait at the doore of my Neighbour let my wife grinde unto another man and let other men bow down upon for this is a wickednesse and an iniquity to be condemned The wrath of God hath smoked against this sinne above all other sinnes of the last table David for whoredome was driven out of his Countrey but what should I name one man the whole City of Sichem was put to the sword for it But what should I name one towne foure Cities were consumed with fire and brimstone for it and the stinking lake of Asphaltes neere to Sodome is left as a perpetuall monument of that plague killing all fish that swimmeth in it and fowles that flye over it But what are five Cities to twelve tribes for the twelve Princes of the tribes were hanged up against the Sunne and twenty foure thousand slaine for it and many wounded in Israel and Beniamin for the defiling of one Levites wife And yet behold a Many like the Corinthians thinke fornication indifferent greater plague than that For for Idolatry Oppression and Adultry was the whole nation of the Iewes carried to Babylon And yet behold a greater plague For seven nations of the Canaanites were destroyed for it And yet behold a greater plague not one Iud. 20. Ier. 229. man as David nor one City as Sichem nor many Cities as Sodome Gomorrah Zeboiim Admah nor many kingdmes as these of Canaan but the whole world destroyed for it Will God then spare this Levit. 18. 24. Gen 6. sinnefull wanton whorish polluted kingdome of England Ierusalem justified Sodome and wee have justified Ierusalem England is become Sodome most townes are full of bastardy most men are like stoned horses neighing after another mans wife So saith the Prophet They rise early in the morning like fed horses every one neighed after his neighbours wife like the oven of a baker so saith Ezech. 16. the Prophet They are all Adulterers and as a verie oven heated by Ier. 5. 8 9. the baker For as that is never cooled so these mens lusts are never satisfied The daughters of England are like the daughters of Sion haughty and Walkewith stretched out neckes Walking and minsing as they goe and make a tinckling with their feete As Ephraim was full of Hos 7. 4. Esa 3. 16. Esa 26. Mich. 7. Tit. 1. Act. 17. Esa 30. 27 28. Nah. 13. 4 5 6. drunkards Ierusalem full of oppressors Crete full of liars Athens full of idolaters so England is full of adulterers The Lords face is therefore burning his lips are full of indignation and his toogue is as a devouring fire and his spirit is as a river that overfloweth up to the necke Hee hath way in the whirlewind and in the storme and the clouds are the dust of his feet Hee rebuketh the Sea and it dryeth and he drieth up all the Rivers Bashan is wasted and Carmel the flower of Lebanon is wasted the mountaines trembled for him and the earth is burnt at his sight yea the world and all that dwell therein who can stand before his wrath or who can abide the fiercenesse of his wrath his wrath is powred out like fire and the rockes are broken by him We are almost of the minde of the Corinths that it is indifferent to whom Paul said The body is not for fornication but for the Lord and the Lord for the body Of that minde were the Gentiles 1 Cor. 6. 13. as it appeareth by the Apostles determination to the Churches where it was decreed that they should Abstaine from filthinesse of Idols and fornication c. For the Heathen thought this no vice Act. 15. 20. but made it a common custome and were wont to pray Dii angeant numerum meretricum the Gods increase the number of Harlots But it is a vile sinne and God hateth it extremely note his speech How should I spare thee for this thy children have forsaken mee and sworne by them that are no Gods Though I fed them to the Ier. 5. 7. 9. full yet they committed adultery and assembled themselves by companies in harlots houses Shall I not visit for these things saith the Lord shall not my soule bee avenged on such a nation as this Though hee winked at many of our sinnes yet will he not spare this God will Prov. 10. Wiâ—d 3. bee revenged of the whoremonger in his name Nam nomen eius putrescet his name shall rot in his posterity Non enim radices agent they shall haue no rooting in his body for it shall bee full of The Adulterer punished many wayes ulcers as the Poxe and the disease called Morbus Neapolitanus In his soule for it shall fry in Hell For though adulterers escape all maner of judgement from men yet it is certaine That the whoremongers Hebr. 13. 4. Psal 50. 21 22. and adulterers God will iudge Because God for a time holdeth his tongue therefore they thinke that God is like unto them but certainely the time hasteth when the Lord will set all their filthinesse in order before them and if they consider it not he will seise upon them when no man shall deliver them especially they are assured to lose the Kingdome of Heaven and to feele the smart Apoc. 22. 8. of Gods eternall wrath in the Lake that burneth with fire and brimestone Bet to strip this strumpet Whoredome and uncleanesse ouerthrow the state of mankind while no man knoweth his owne wife no wife her husband no father his children For whoredome confounds the World and utterly overthroweth the state of marriage Affinitates enim totius mundi sunt compagines Affinities and consanguinities are the joynts and sinewes of the Word Lose these lose all Totus mundus ruit all the World goeth to wracke Now what affinities or consanguinities can there be when there is nothing but confusion of bloud The sonne knoweth not his father nor the father the sonne Sed promiscuus est
so carefully keepeth all our members Custodit omnia ossa he keepeth all our bones abstergit lachrymas ab oculis hee wipeth the teares from our eyes docet manus praeliari he teacheth our hands Psal 34. Psal 116. Psal 144. 1. to warre and our fingers to fight dirigit gressus nostros in via pacis he directeth our going in the way of peace totum denique corpus custodit to conclude he keepeth the whole body For the Lord saith David is thy keeper the Lord is the shadow at the right hand Ought we not then to give our eyes our hands our feet and the Psal 121. 5. whole body unto his service that as we have given our members servants to uncleannesse and to iniquity to commit iniquity So now to give over our members servants unto righteousnesse in holinesse for being freed from sinne and made the servants of God our fruit must be in holinesse and our end shall be life eternall Againe God punisheth uncleannesse many waies our members are the members of Christ shall we take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot God forbid Againe they are the Temples of the Holy Ghost If any man defile 1 Cor. 6. 2 Cor. 3. the Temple of God him shall God destroy A Noble man will not lodge in a hoggs coat nor Gods Spirit in a filthy uncleane unchast body Quid luci cum tenebris what communion hath light 2 Cor. 6. 14. with darkenesse what concord hath Christ with Belial what part hath the beleever with the unbeleever or what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols Againe our members shall be glorified in heaven Let them therefore glorifie God in this life for as no uncleane beast might tarry upon the Lords Mountaine so no polluted person shall passe thorow the gates Apoc. 221 of the new Ierusalem God punisheth this sinne many wayes First with beggery for he that feedeth harlots shall never bee rich for indeed it is a sinne Prov. 29. 3. against nature for whereas other men sowe for an Harvest these defilers of the flesh which plough with othermens heifers sowe that which they dare not reape Secondly he punisheth defilers of the flesh with infamy for their reproach shall never be done away Prov. 6. 33. Thirdly with lothsome diseases for the most righteous God hath appointed that they which will taste of the sweet of sinne shall be filled with the gall of punishment it bringeth corruption of the blood dissolution of the sinewes rottennesse of the marrow aches in the joynts crudities in the stomacke paines in the head gowtes and palsies heavinesse in the heart and stinging of the conscience Fourthly Yea and after all these it shall be punished with hell fire For it is written for fornication uncleannesse inordinate Col. 3. 6. affection c. the wrath of God remaineth on such And againe whoremongers Heb. 13. 4. and adulterers God will judge for is stabunt moechi without shall be dogges and inchanters and whoremongers c. onely Apoc. 22. 15. such as be Virgins follow the Lambe Know ye therefore yee Apoc. 14. Gal. 4. Numb 5. Deut. 23. 3. defilers of the flesh there is no place for you in heaven you must rest and dwell in the tenement in hell The Bastard Ismael hath no place in Abrahams house the unclean Canaanite hath no room in the host of Israel The misbegotten Ammonite hath no accesse into Gods Tabernacle As the whoremongers and defilers of the flesh have neither foot nor furrow nor inch of roome in Gods Kingdome Sunt in felle nequitiae they are in the gall of Acts 8. 21. bitternesse as Simon Peter said of Simon Magus The holy Ghost joyneth a whore and a dogge together Thou shalt not bring the Deut. 23. 18. hire of an whore nor the price of a dogge into the house of God And Ieremy compareth these adulterous beasts unto neighing horses and Ier. 5. 8. the Wise man likens them to an Oxe going to the slaughter and cals Prov. 7. 22. the whore a deepe ditch and a narrow pit And they that enter into her Prov. 2. 19. hardly returne againe to take hold of the way of life The guests and Whoredome and all uncleannesse odious companions of harlots are in Hell nay in the depth of Hell Heaven will not receive them O that men could-see into Hell they should see as many defilers of the flesh as many whoremongers as of any sin against the second table Many make little reckoning of this sin of whoredome which the Apostle meaneth by defiling of the flesh but if the punishment provided for it already spoken of cannot let you see the grievousnesse of this sinne then listen to that which now I shall say unto you First it taketh away the heart of a man so saith the Prophet Whoredome and wine and new wine take away the heart As Hos 4. 11. Nabuchadnezzar had the heart of a beast so these defilers of the flesh have beastly hearts Et praestat bestiam esse quà m bestialiter Seneca vivere A man had better be a beast than live beastly Secondly This sinne is so much the greater because it hath a lawfull remedy To avoid fornication saith the Apostle let every 1 Cor. 7. 2. man have his wife and every wife her husband And againe They that cannot abstaine let them marry A poore theefe is pittied that stealeth to satisfie hunger but he that stealeth and hath enough of his owne his sinne is the greater and the more to be punished Prov. 6. 33. so hee that hath a lawfull remedy and such a remedy as God hath ordained and yet runnes a whoring his sinne is the more abominable and deserveth greater punishment Such was Davids sinne hee had many wives and concubines and yet hee 2 Sam. 11. 5. c. tooke another mans Wife and therefore his sinne was horrible Thirdly by this sinne of whoredome Satan gaineth two soules at once a theefe may steale alone the drunkard may be drunken alone the murtherer blasphemer idolater usurer c. may sinne alone but the whoremonger killeth two soules at one clap If the blood of Abel cryed for vengeance how much more shall those soules cry for vengeance whom these defilers of the flesh have brought to destruction yet these defilers care not how many they abuse and whores and harlots care not how many they lead to the divell they open their quiver against every arrow Eccles 26. 22. Fourthly Defilers of the flesh whoremongers are the Divels factors Satan is a tempter so are they and therefore when they goe about to defile any they should answere them as Christ answered Mat. 4. 1. Peter when hee counselled him to save himselfe Come behind mee Satan thou art an offence unto mee I reade of a certaine Matron Mat. 16. 23. that being intised by a desire of the flesh an
their followers were hanged and it were overlong to speake at large of Iohn and Francis Throgmorton Brooke Redman Parry Babington Arden with divers others who received according to their deserts Let every soule therfore learne to Rom. 13. 1. submit himselfe to the higher powers and never to resist For we must suffer the Princes will to be done aut à nobis aut de nobis either of us or on us of us when he commands for truth on us when he commands against truth either we must be patients or agents Agents when he is good and godly Patients when he is tyrannous and wicked If we resist our end will be damnation either temporall for The wrath of a King is as the roring of a lion he that prouoketh him to Pro. 20. â— anger sinneth against his owne soule or eternall as is manifest in Chore who went downe quicke to Hell If murther be a crying sinne then treason may well be called a roring sinne and calles for speedy judgement But for as much as I have spoken before of this point I will proceed no further with it VERSE XII Metaphors very vsefull in teaching These are spots in your feasts of charity when they feast with you without all feare feeding themselves c. IN this Text are contained two things A detection of their sinnes and A denouncing of Iudgement The sinnes here are three The first is Epicurisme in that they eate and drinke without feare feeding themselves The second is Pride in that they are like the waves of the Sea swelling on high The third is Hypocrisie in that they are as clouds promising raine and yet have nothing but drynesse in them empty clouds in that they are as Trees which promise fruit and yet have nothing but leaves corrupt trees in that they are as starres which promise light and yet have nothing but darknesse in them wandring starres Their Iudgement is to be reserved to blacke darknesse that is Hell fire hell paines and there hee amplifieth it by setting out Gods Iudgement how hee shall come with thousands of Angels and that he shall judge all men namely them Dan. 7. that speake against him Lastly that he shall judge them for every evill worke and word so fearefull shall it be But first for the manner and then for the matter The manner of handling is plaine he teacheth them by plain things as spots waves clouds trees starres things sensible and objected to our eyes because he had a desire to profit them So Christs similitudes are fetched from light salt fannes corne chaffe trees Mat. 3. 5. 10. 13. 6. sheepe wolves seed pearles So Pauls Metaphors and borrowed speeches are taken from planting watering building tilling running fighting leaven sweet dough 1 Cor. 3. 1 Cor. 5. 9. c. Who had better gifts than Paul more learning more Philosophy more tongues he was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel he was not inferiour to the very chiefe Apostles for though hee Act. 22. was rude in speaking that is though he used no worldly eloquence yet for knowledge and understanding hee did exceed and spake with tongues more than they all his Epistles are as the shop of an Apothecary 1 Cor. 11. 5 6. a man cannot read them but he shall carry away the smell ofexcellent learning yet came he not in the wisdome of words 1 Cor. 1. 1 2. for hee regarded not to know any thing save Iesus Christ and him crucified We come to the Word in the pride of our heart and have our eares tickled not our hearts edified to heare some strange thing that may bring us into a wonderment of things Gods Word hath its elegancy and eloquence we know not God in his justice suffereth us to depart empty yea worse than we came If the Preacher fil not the Pulpit full of fine words trim Phrases Fathers Doctors Councels Poetrie Philosophy if hee doe not aucupari syllabas hunt after syllables to please itching eares wee crie out that hee was unlearned and a plaine homely teacher and English Doctor But wee must desire wholesome not tooth-some meat For as we must teach wholesome Doctrine For if any man teach otherwise 1 Tim. 6. 3 4. and consenteth not to the wholesome words of the Lord Iesus Christ and to the Doctrine which is according to Godlinesse hee is pust up and knoweth nothing so yee must heare wholesome doctrine not be like unto those of whom Paul prophesied saying The time will come when they will not suffer wholesom doctrine but having their eares 2 Tim. 4. 3 4. itching shall after their own lusts get them an he ape of teachers and shall turne their eares from the truth and shall be given to fables to false and unprofitable doctrine We must speake and you must heare as the words of God All Doctors Councels Poets Philosophers are but darkenesse the Word is light onely so saith David 1 Pet. 4. 11. Thy word is a Lanthorne to my feet and a light to my pathes The Word must sit on the Bench when all these shal stand at the bar Psal 119. those that bom-baste their Sermons that fill the Pulpit full of these Authors either they deliver little doctrine or else unprofitable doctrine not as Paul did Hee kept backe nothing that was profitable but shewed and taught openly and through every house Act. 20. 20 21. witnessing both to the Iewes and to the Grecians the repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Iesus Christ Such builders either have no mortar or else untempered mortar like the false prophets Such Cookes either have no salt or unsavoury salt Ezech. 13. 10. Mat. 5. 13. such nurses either have no milke or else corrupt milke that hath taken wind the Word is sincere milke and yet I deny not but Gods Spirit hath his eloquence and no writings more eloquent 1 Pet. 2. 2. than they To give you a little taste speaking of Iuda and Ierusalems punishment for their idolatry hee saith I will stretch over Ierusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab and I will wipe Ierusalem as a man wipeth a dish which hee wipeth and turneth upside-downe And David speaking of the Sunne-rising and wherrying about the Heavens hee saith that hee commeth forth as a bridegroome out of his chamber and rejoyceth as a mighty man to run Psal 19. 5. Esa 5. his race So the Prophet Esay speaking of the sinne of the people he saith that they did draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sinne with cart-ropes And speaking of Gods power hee setteth it out with such eloquent words as the like have not beene heard for marke his phrases Who hath measured the Waters in his fist and counted Heaven with his spanne and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountaines in a waight and the hils in a Esa â—0 12. ballance For Esay was a
while the meat was yet in their mouthes the heavy wrath of God came upon Psal 78. 30 31. them and slew the strongest of them and smote downe the chosen men of Israel This made Iob to offer sacrifice for his children hee Ioâ— 1. 4 5. knew how many falls are in belly-cheare Men eate and drinke away their Christ yea they eate and drinke away their soules nay they eate and drinke away their salvation the fruit of the flesh is found more among the poore than the rich which is a double sinne Chrysostome in this respect preferreth brute beasts befor us for they goe from belly to labour we go from belly to bed if not to worse we eate till we surfeit and drinke till we be drunken we eate while we sleepe and sleepe till we be hungry againe wee sleepe compasse from eight to eight of the clocke And note that he saith that they fed themselves onely where observe two things First that they did not glorifie GOD in their meats and drinkes Secondly That they relieved not others but fed themselves All our eating and drinking every morsell of bread or drop of drinke that we put into our mouthes should be to the glory of God so saith the Apostle Whether yee eat or drinke or whatsoever 1 Cor. 10. 31. yee doe doe all to the glory of God but we like the Israelites sit downe to eate and drinke and rise up to play these are the effects of 1 Cor. 10. 7. our Feasts Alas we eate and drinke daily and yet not one among an hundred nay scarce one among a thousand can tell how to eate and drinke to please God in it namely that wee may bee the stronger and apter to walke in our generall calling of Christianity and in our particular callings to Gods glory and the good of the Church in discharge of our duties Wee read not that Dives surfeited yet feeding him selfe not doing any good hee Luke 16. 19. is condemned This is that which God spake by Zachary When ye fasted and mourned the fifth and seventh month even these seventy Zach. 7. 5 6. yeeres did ye fast unto me doe I approve it and when yee did eate and when yee did drinke did yee not eate for your selves and drinke for your selves Secondly they fed and lived but not to any bodies good but Wee must not be like Nabal providing only to feed our selves to pamper themselves this was the sinne of Israel not that they had the calves of the stall that they lay on beds of Ivorie that they warbled to the tune of the Vyoll c. but that they neglected the poore amongst them Wee are borne for others the Heathen Amos 6. 6 8. could say Ortus nostri partem patria vendicat our Country challengeth part of our birth our friends part our kinsfolkes part for none of us liveth to himselfe Nemo igitur sua quaerat Let no man Rom. 14. 7. seeke his owne things his owne profit health or wealth but his Neighbours Ye know the life and end of churlish Nabal at his sheepe-shearing he kept a feast as it had been a King and David sending unto him for some victuals hee answered Davids servants 1 Sam. 25. Who is David and who is the sonne of Ishai there bee many servants now adayes that breake from their masters shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers and give it unto men whom I know not whence they be This was the sinne of the shepheards of Israel they fed themselves They did eate the fat and cloathed themselves with the wooll yea they did kill them that Ezech. 34. â— 3. were fed but fed not the sheepe If we eate onely to satisfie hunger the Horse and the Hog eate with as good a conscience as wee doe for as every creature of God is good so it ought to be received 1 Tim. 4. 4. of us with thanksgiving And observe that Iude noteth this as a great fault in the godly that they suffered the wicked to eate among them to staine their meetings these spots were as the menstruous cloth of a Esa 64. woman as the spots of a Leopard all the water in the Sea cannot Ier. 13. wash them away all Niter and Borith cannot cleanse them they are as drops of blood in Lawne or Camericke they did Ier. 2. not onely defile their feasts but them also that feasted with them they were like menstrusie to staine them and pollute them If any that is called a brother be a fornicator or covetous or an 1 Cor. 5. 11. Idolator or a rayler or a drunkard or an extortioner with such a one eate not if ye eate or company with them they will defile you Origen would not pray with an Hereticke Martian would have saluted Polycarpe and taken him by the hand No saith hee Agnosco te primogenitum diaboli I know thou art the first borne of the divell Iohn the Evangelist would not wash in the bath wherin Cerinthus an enemy to GODS trueth bathed himselfe Every one that will avoid evill must avoid the company of the evill for he shall dwell in Gods Tabernacle and rest upon his holy Mountaine In whose eyes a vile person is contemned but hee Psal 15. 4. honoureth them that feare the Lord therefore Iude taxeth the godly for conversing with Epicures for feeding with them and telleth them that they are spots in their feasts With this also God charged the two Churches of Ephesus and Pergamus they had many good things in them yet had God this against Ephesus that Shee had them that maintained the doctrine of the Nicholaitanes which The Godly have ever abandoned the wicked were as spots to staine them And against Pergamus that Shee had them that maintained the doctrine of Balaam These spots should bee wiped out of the Lords glasse these Lepers should bee Apoc. 2 6 14. banished the hoast of Israel these goats should not come into the Lords field these tares should not come into the Lords barne Doest thou love God and the Gospel of God then love the friends of God and hate his enemies as David did Doe not I Psal 139. 21 22 hate them that hate thee and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them right sore as if they were my enemies There is no man but hee may doe some thing to discountenance sinne and sinners no Flie so little but hath his spleene no Pismier but hath his choller no Hare so little but hath his shadow and no man so meane but hee may reprove the Wicked therefore let thy countenance to such be as the North-wind and never entertaine Iudas with Iohn nor Simon Magus with Simon Peter As the sweet river Hippanus is made bitter when it passeth the Pole Exanthe like the bitter water spoken of in the booke of Numbers So are men made
worse by bad company such as are continually in the Sunne must needes be Sunne-burnt such as walke in the myst must needs bee berayed such as touch pitch cannot bee but defiled so such as abide in bad company cannot bee but spotted Ioseph living in the Court of Pharaoh had quickly learned to sweare by the life of Pharaoh and Peter being among lyers and swearers had quickly learned to lye and sweare Therefore saith Ierome It is no wisedome to sleepe neere a Serpent it may bee it will sting thee it may be it will not so it may be that thou conversing with a wicked man maiest convert him but it may be he will pervert spot and defile thee David durst not meddle with these spots and spotted companions I have not haunted with vaine persons neither kept company with Psal 26. 4 5. the dissemblers I have hated the assembly of the evill and have not companied with the wicked and surely hee that loveth the Lord hee will love those that love him and hate those that hate him not his person but his manners Pacem cum hominibus bellum cum Aug. vitiis we must have peace with men but war with their vices But let men bee as blinde in minde as Bartimaeus who followed Mat. 20. Christ by the noyse let them bee as deafe as the Adder as filthy in soule as Lazarus in body as blacke as the blacke horse Psal 58. Apoc. 6. in the Apoc. yet if wee gaine by him if hee be for our honour or profit or pleasure wee countenance him he is an honest man a good fellow But hee that iustifieth the wicked is as hee that condemneth the just both are abomination to the Lord. Hee that saith Prov. 17. 25. Cap. 24. 24. to the wicked Thou art righteous him shall the people curse and the multitude abhorre Let us not then give any countenance to the wicked but bee at defiance with them as was David when hee cryed Away from mee yee wicked I will keepe the commandements Love-feasts abused were after abolished of God But some will say Is it a sinne simply to eate with the wicked No there bee cases of necessity and cases voluntary wherein it is no sinne to eate with them David partaked with the Philistines Psal 119. 2 Sam. 23. in the water of Bethlem The Apostles ate meate in Athens consecrated to Minerva Act. 17. cap. 17. with the Idolaters Paul went in a ship dedicated to Castor and Pollux and wee now may eate meat in a common Inne with bad men Againe in cases voluntary it is not ever a sin to eate with the wicked so that wee doe it to exhort them to reprove them and gaine them to God Note the Antithesis the caution the Apostle useth Have no fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of Ephes 5. 11. darkenesse but even reprove them rather So to reprove them is not to have fellowship with them These are Spots in your feasts These feasts were love-feasts and these love-feasts were used before the communion as appeareth 1 Cor. 11. 20 21 c. by the words of the Apostle and in Tertullians Apologeticon to note this as many members make but one body many strings make but one sound many graines but one loafe many grapes but one cup of wine So many Christians make but one Church So saith the Apostle Now yee are the bodie of Christ and members for your part for all Churches dispersed thorow the World 1 Cor. 12. 27. are members of one body of one Church for albeit in the evill state there be differences of callings yet in the spirituall there is Neither Iew nor Grecian there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female yee are all one in Christ Iesus all as Gal. 3. 28. one man But these love-feasts being well begun were afterwards corrupted for from feasts of charitie they were turned into feasts of 1 Cor. 11. drunkennesse for men would be drunken and so became spots and staines to these feasts and therefore were these feasts after abolished as all ceremonies ought to bee if they edifie not Ezeehias brake the brazen Serpent a figure of Christ and called 2 Reg. 18. it Nehushtan Nectarius a learned and a godly Bishop of Constantinople abrogated auricular confession when it was used to hypocrisie So that Pedum lotio washing of feet fetched Iohn 13. from Christs example when it was made a part of baptisme was abolished by Augustine The judiciall observation of Easter raising contention betweene the Latine and the Greeke Church was by Irenaeus and other Fathers removed Paul circumcised Timothy not Titus Legales Ceremoniae ante Christum erant pars cultus Christi the legall ceremonies before Christ were a part of Christs worship Post Christi adventum res erant adiaphorae after his comming they were things indifferent Post templum eversum quum corrumpebantur erant sublatae ut res impiae after the destruction of the Temple they were abolished as Ceremonies abused are to be abolished things impious But to leave this If any man will aske mee when and by whom these love-feasts were taken away I answer by the Antisiodorensian Councell then were they abolished In these feasts at the first was great sobriety as Tertullian affirmeth but after many used riot and excesse In Apologetico 39. they that should have beene ornaments were spots and staines they that should have beene Lights were scandals to these feasts and therefore were they abolished THE THREE AND TVVENTIETH SERMON VERS XII Clouds they are without water c. Pride occasioned many wayes ever odious to God THis was the second sin of this people viz. Pride they swelled like waves of the sea and lifted up them selves against God and good men Of such swelling proud men spake Peter calling them presumptuous and saith That they stand in their own 2 Pet. 2. 10 18. conceit speaking swelling words of vanity for it seemeth that Peter tooke these words from Iude or Iude from Peter rather they spake swelling words words of a foot and a halfe long glorious words like Thraso in the Comedy Such were the Quintinists and Libertines in Germany who boasted of a celestiall perfection such were one Henry Nicolitanes who spake in the clouds highly mystically that we are co-deified with God and God co-homonified with us such are our Papists whose doctrine savours nothing but of pride as their doctrine of free will justification by workes workes of supererogation which they call the treasure of the Church works of preparation c. thus they speake words of the wind and fill their belly with the East wind For what is pride but wind A wind to fill and a wind to torment Men may be spiritually swelled both in life and opinion there is a swelling for abundance of riches there is a swelling behaviour in mens courses there is a swelling in sinne a swelling in opinion Oh
of the Ayre He counteth all the haires of our head Hee putteth all the teares of the afflicted into his bottle Hee knoweth the cattell upon a thousand mountaines All our members were written in his booke before we were borne Now if hee call the starres by their names if hee number our steps if hee tell the sparrowes if hee count the haires of our head if hee register the teares of the afflicted if hee know all the cattell on the mountaines if he wrote our members in his booke long before wee were borne then surely hee hath written all our sinnes in his booke as is said by Ieremy The sinne of Ier. 17. 1. Iudah is written with a penne of â—ron and with a point of a Diamond graven upon the table of his heart Infinite are the sinnes of one yeere of one moneth of one weeke yea of one day how many vaine thoughts idle words ungodly workes passe from us in one day David said they passed the haires of his head hee said that hee could not number them Job said that wee drinke iniquity like water Esay said Wee draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sinne like cart ropes Salomon saith that the mouth of the wicked swalloweth iniquity A thousand idle words yea oaths wee utter in one day Septi es in die cadit justus the righteous sinneth seven times a day that is many times in a day what by committing of evill what by omitting of good how often then in our whole life and yet not one sin doth escape God What is done in earth is registred in heaven in one moment it is in Gods debt-booke And herein is Gods omniscience herein differeth the knowledge of God from that of Thoughts and words shall be iudged as well as workes men and divels Deus scit praesentia praeterita futura God knoweth things past present and future they know not things future God onely knoweth the thoughts of our hearts they onely our words and workes not our thoughts Yea every thought also shall bee judged We say Thought is free but God shall arrest it indite it arraigne it it shall hold up the hand at the barre of God for the Law is spirituall and bindeth as well the spirit as the body so saith the Apostle We know that the Law is spirituall so that it can judge the affections of Rom. 7. 14. Psal 44. 21. the heart God knoweth the secrets of the heart A true hand and a true heart a chast body and a chast minde must goe together else all is lost O Ierusalem wash thy heart from thy wickednesse Ier. 4. 14. that thou maiest be saved how long shall thy wicked thoughts remaine within thee Not deedes but thoughts must bee washed and cleansed As our deeds and thoughts so our words shall be judged All the cruell speakings which wicked sinners have spoken against God shall come to iudgement It will bee said here that none are so mad as to speake against God Yes and men speake against God two wayes First when they speake against any ordinance of God 1 Secondly when we speake against the servants of God 2 Against the ordinance of God as thus Stephen charged the Iewes that they resisted the holy Ghost yet resisted they but his Act. 7. 51. 1 Cor. 10. 21. word The Corinthians were said to provoke God for being present at Idols feasts The Apostle charged the Iewes to rise up against the Lord Iesus for that they resisted the preaching the doctrine of Act. 4. 27. Iesus Againe men speake against God when they speake against the servants of God as thus Christ codemneth Paul for persecuting Act. 9. 4. him yet persecuted he but the Saints of Ierusalem The people in contemning Samuel cast God away So God told Samuel 1 Sam. 8. 7. They have not cast thee away but mee away And well said said Gamaleel that to strive against the Apostles had beene to strive Act. 5. 39. against God So Moses told Israel Your murmurings are not against Exod. 16. 7 8. us but against the Lord. But among all that speake against God our swearers are the chiefe The Prophet said Hee was a man of polluted lips but no Esay 6. lip more polluted than the swearers they spue out their venim against God spit him in the teeth justle with him for his chaire throw him into the channel trample upon him with their filthy feet making his name a tennise ball a page and waiting-man to their choller Because of oaths the land shall mourne and mens mouthes now are dyed red with oaths they make no conscience to speake against God many mens hearts be all earth their stomakes all water their braines all ayre and their tongues all fire being set on fire of hell Saint Ambrose telleth us of a dogge that pulled Swearing and falshood came into the world together out the throate of him that murdered his master Shall a dogge doe this for him that giveth him a crust of bread and shall not our wrath kindle against them that have killed the Iam. 3. 6. Ambr. libr. 6. Hexam Lord Iesus Mens sinnes mens oathes mens blasphemies and perjuries have pierced him and nailed him and let out his heart blood These were the nailes and speare that lanced him Iudas Pilate Herod could have done nothing unto him if these our sinnes had not given them strength One saith that three members of the body are hardly governed the heart the reines the Vinaldus libr. de cont tongue In the heart is vanity in the reines is pleasure in the tongue is falshood perjury blasphemy He that can rule these three is a persect man So saith the Apostle If a man sinne not in Iam. 3. 2 3 4. word he is a perfect man and able to bridle all the body behold wee put bittes into the horses monthes that they should obey us and wee turne about all their body behold also the ships that though they be great and are driven of sierce winds yet are they turned about with avery small rudeer wheresoever the governour listeth Even so the tongue is a little member and boasteth of great things Behold how great a thing a little fire kindleth and the tongue is a fire yea a World of wickednesse c. Better it is that men should never speake then to sweare and blaspheme and so speake against God Vita mors est in potestate linguae life and death is in the power of the tongue Metalls are iudged by the sound whether they be gold or brasse A man is iudged by his speech whether he be good or evill if his words be brazen his heart cannot be golden Chrysostome noteth that swearing came into the world when all untrueth entred into the World and all villany In the first age men were beleeved on their word but in the ages following they were scarce beleeved on their oath lying brought swearing swearing brought per
dung and drinke their owne pisse and thus boasted the Kings and 2 Reg. 18. 27. Rulers of the Earth against the Lord and against his Anoynted Let us breake their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us Happy is hee that can see his owne vilenesse but it followeth well there Hee that dwelleth in Heaven shall laugh them to scorne the Lord shall have them in derision Let not the wiseman glory in his wisdome nor the strong man in his strength Psal 2. 3. but he that will glory let him glory in the Lord and make his boast of his praise The Pharises boasted much of their doings they delivered their almes with the sound of trumpets but they muttered their sinnes in the eares of their fellowes they spake softly quoth Epiphanius like the peacocke that croweth when he looketh at his wings but is mute when hee looketh at his feet which are foule and ugly This sinne of pride is naturall or universall and therefore the more to be eschewed of the children of God Habet quisque naevos superbiae not droppes but rivers blottes staines of Ierome pride spotted like a Leopard wee drew it from the loines of Adam and sucked it out of the brests of Heva for they were proud and would be like unto God Sed dum rapere voluerunt divinitatem August amiserunt foelicitatem whiles they would have caught the divinity they lost their felicity yea the Angels that sinned before man fell through pride though not only pride Paul 1 Tim. 3. calleth it The condemnation of the Divell Not long after the destruction of the old world and the reparation of the new the builders of Babel fell this way saying proudly Faciamus turrim extensam in coelos Let us build a City a tower whose top may reach Gen. 11. unto the heaven But God plagued their pride with the confusion of tongues and divided them into seventy three tongues which before spake all but one tongue It is naturall to us to thinke proudly of our selves to speake proud things to deale arrogantly and to boast outragiously We are like the Ciclopians and like Poliphemus see but with one eye we see our vertues not our vices which are tenne to one as the Leopard hath tenne blacke spots to one white but he is an happy man that can see his vilenesse his sinne and can accuse himselfe not praise himselfe as Paul did when he said God forbid that I should rejoice in anything but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus whereby the world is crucified Gal. 6. 14. unto me and I unto the world Paul was a great Apostle circumcised the eighth day of the kindred of Israel of the Tribe of Benjamin an Phil. 3 4 6 8. Hebrew of the Hebrewes by the Law a Pharisee concerning zeale wonderfull touching the righteousnesse which is in the Law unrebukeable Yet hee was not proud of any of these things but counted all things losse and did iudge them to bee dung that he might winne Christ and writing to the Corinthians he saith thus Who is weake and I am not weake Who is offended and I burne not If I must needs reioice I will 2 Cor. 11. 30 31. reioice in mine infirmities as imprisonments beating hunger thirst and such like which things the adversaries did condemne as infirme in him And againe he said I know nothing by my selfe yet am I not thereby iustified he knew no oathes no lies no rancour no whoredome by himselfe no Capitall sinne for the Child of Iesting base fruit of wit God may say with Christ in some respect Which of you can reprove me of sinne yet would not he boast for he had peccata occulta secret Iohn 10. sinnes There be some that apply their wit and understanding to nothing else but to frumpes and jests to disgrace others to move laughter if they can nippe or by a girding scoffe disgrace another honester then themselves we call them merry Greeks pleasant companions good fellowes but this is the least harvest the least fruit of their wit Iocis utuntur qui currum poties quà m Curiam decent as one saith they use jests and sportes which become rather the Cart then the Court Quique vomitum citius quà m risum moveant and which will sooner move vomit than sport and then they triumph but in truth without victory These are dogs not men For of evill men there be two kindes alij sunt Canes alij porci some are dogges some are hogges Fooles are hogs which neglect the truth secure and refuse the Word but some are dogges which slander and deride the professors of the truth beware of these dogges these dogges shall not goe to Phil. 3. 2. Apoc. 22. 14. Heaven as Seneca said of Sylla that he left killing when none were left to be killed so these proud tongues will leave scoffing when there are no honest men to be plaied upon Good men strive to debase themselves they stop their eares at their praises as Mariners doe at the song of the Meremaid As Adders doe at the voice of the Charmer they say with David Peccatum meum semper coram me My sinne is ever before me they Psal 51. are vile and will be more vile as David said to Michol who taunted him nay despised him in her heart when shee saw him dancing before the Arke O how glorious quoth she was the King 2 Sam. 6. 20 21 22. of Israel this day which was uncovered to dâ—y in the eyes of the maidens of his servants as a foole uncovereth himself But he answered her That which he did was for noworldly affection but only for the zeale he bare to God and to his glory and I will quoth hee bee yet more vile then thus and I will bee low in mine owne sight c. So Gods Children they are vile and low in their owne sight they can say with David Lord I am not high-minded I have no proud lookes I Psal 131. 1 2. doe not exercise my selfe in matters that are too high for me c. But many are proud hauty boasting bragging of their works as of their prayers almes readings fastings c. But doest thou glory in thy prayers O foole where thou praiest one prayer others pray a thousand The Eutiches prayed continually Iames had his knees horne-hoofed with prayer Christ prayed a whole night which thou never diddest Doest thou glory of thy Almes O foole where thou givest a penny thou receivest a pound at the hands of God and in all that thou art but a steward and thou must reddere rationem give an accompt of thy stewardship Zachee would give halfe his good to the poore thou not the hundred not the thousand part yet hee boasted not Doest thou glory in thy reading Where thou readest a line others read a We must so live that our conscience may comfort us volume Alphonsus King of Naples read over
to content their owne sinnefull humour But so to reprehend is no way lawfull wee must deale with sinners as Samuel did with Saul chide them for their sinne yet pray for their soule as Moses did with the Israelites who corrected their iniquities yet would be blotted out of Gods Booke for their safeties as David did with Absalom who detested his fault and yet would have died for his sake then shall wee shew our selves true physicians that seare the sore to preserve the person and hate the sinne to preserve the soule THE NINE AND TVVENTIETH SERMON VERS XVIII How that they told you that there shall bee mockers in the last time c. Scorning and mocking the highest degree of sin NOw he commeth to the words that he will have them to remember they be these That there shall come in the last dayes mockers hee calleth the wicked mockers for in mustering up their sinnes hee beginneth with their flouting as an arch sinne a capitall sinne hee placeth it in the forefront as Ioab did Vrias it is a Metropolitan sinne as Salomons harlot 1 Reg. 3. was among women the worst of all as the beast in the Apocalyps Apoc. 13. which inspired the other with blasphemy like Antiochus who did more hurt then all the Tyrants before him Of these mockers speaketh Peter as though he had followed Iude verbatim word for word but he hath answered them so fully that we need not go any further for their confutation There shall saith he come in the last dayes mockers which will walke after their lusts and say Where 1 Pet. 3 3 4 5 6 7. 8 9. is the promise of his comming for since the Fathers died all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation For this they willingly know not that the Heavens were of old and the earth that was of the water and by the water by the Word of God wherefore the world that then was perished overflowed with the water but the Heavens and earth which There have beene scorners in all ages are now are kept by the same Word in store and reserved unto fire against the day of Iudgement and of the destruction of ungodly men Dearely beloved be not ignorant of this one thing that one day with the Lord is as a thousand yeeres and a thousand yeeres as one day The Lord is not slacke concerning his promise as some men count slacknesse but is patient toward us c. Salomon had to doe with such All things come alike to all Eccles 9. 2. and the same condition is to the just and to the wicked to the good and to the pure and to the polluted and to him that sacrificeth and him that sacrificeth not as is the good so is the sinner he that sweareth and he that feareth an oath so they said in Chrysostomes time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Give me something here let hereafter go to others Mat. 22. such were in Christs dayes the Sadduces they denied the Resurrection Paul had to doe with these beasts which said Let us eate and drinke for to morrow we shall dye But if Peter reasoned well 1 Cor. 15. 32. 1 Pet. 47. saying Now is the end of all things at hand be yee therefore sober and watching in prayer The Epicures in Pauls time reasoned vilely and beastly nam contrariorum contraria est ratio for of contraries there is a contrary reason Such skummes have beene in all ages when Esay spake of sackloth they spake of slaying of oxen and Esa 22. drinking wine when the Apostles spake with new tongues they spake with their old tongues and said that they were drunken with new wine when Paul spake of the true God the Athenians Act. 2. 13. called him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a babbler a rascall a trifler when Christ wrought miracles they said that he did them by the Divell and Mat. 12. now that we speake of God and the Kingdome of God they say that we are idle and must say something and that our doctrine is good for those that have little to doe they deride us as simple men that know nothing with the Corinthians they call our preaching foolishnes with the Aegyptians they call our resort unto the Church idlenesse with the Captaines they call our Exod. 8. 2 Reg. 9. Act. 26. 1 Cor. 1. 21. Act. 26. 25. preachers madde men with Festus they call our zeale plaine dotage and madnesse and with Pliny they call our meetings conventicles but wee will answere them as Paul did the Corinths It pleaseth God through the foolishnes of preaching to save them that beleeve As the Apostle did Festus Wee are not mad but wee speake the Words of truth and sobernes As the Christians did Plinie Trajane and others for their night meetings our witnesse is above our praise is not with men but with God The Latines for mocking use a triple Synonyme Irrisio subsannatio Rom. 2. illusio à risu â—â—gatu ludo a laughing to skorne a mocking by snuffing up the nose and a scorning by way of jesting the first two are open the third more secret when we breake a jest upon our neighbour that tends to his disgrace Of these mockers there be sundry kindes Some that mocke God Some that mocke Gods man They that mocke God are of two sorts the open that deny Divers sorts of mockers both of God and men God in word and in deed as Pharaoh And the secret that professe in shew but deny in truth like the Sonne in the Gospell who in word said I go father but in truth went not at all Multi adorantes Crucem exteriùs Crucem spiritualem per contemptum conculcant Many will beare the Crosse in their bosomes that never imprint it in their hearts and many fall before it in their closet that never follow it in their lives Irrisor non poenitens qui adhuc agit quod penitet He is a 〈◊〉 Iside no repenter whose works are not answerable to their words These mocke-Gods shall one day feele the hand of God Glaucus that scoffed at Venus was torne in pieces with his mares Lycurgus despising Bacchus chopt his owne legs asunder as hee lopt his vines Holofernes acknowledging no God but Nabuchodonozer Iudith 13. was murthered by a woman the people that will sacrifice to the Queene of heaven were consumed with the sword of famine Nicanor that derided the Lord of the Sabbath lost his head hand shoulder Phericides in derision of the God-head bragged Ier. 44. 17. abroad that himselfe had as much prosperity that never did sacrifice as they that offred an hundred Hecatombs to the gods but was as Herod coÌ„sumed with lice Daphida a scoffer in derision Act. 12. 23. of Apollos Oracle at Delphos enquired of it whether he should find his horse that he lost when indeed hee had none the Oracle made this answere Inventurum quidem sed ut co turbatus periret that
will not rectified Deest enim intellectus voluntatis consiliariâ—s for understanding is wanting which is the Counseller of the soule The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse 1 Cor. 2. 14. unto him neither can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned at spiritus non natura sed gratia the spirit is not of nature but of grace So said Christ of the whole world O righteous Father Iohn 17. 25. the World hath not knowne thee but I have knowne thee and these have knowne c. therefore hee prayed for his Apostles and in them for us all I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the World but that thou keepe them from evill And againe Sanctifie them Iohn 17. 15 17. with thy truth by nature wee are the children of wrath by grace we are Gods adopted Sonnes Hereupon saith the Apostle In times past we walked according to the course of the World and after the spirit that ruleth in the Ayre and that now worketh in the children of disobedience among whome also wee had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh and fulfilling the will of the flesh and of the minde Ephes 2. 3 4 5. and were by nature the children of Wrath nor by creation but by Adams transgression and so by birth as well as others But God which is rich in mercy through the great love wherewith he loved us when wee were dead by sinnes hath quickned us together in Christ by whose grace we are saved There are but two things in us either nature or grace either flesh or spirit Now in the state of nature al are accursed in the state of grace we are blessed For by grace wee beleeve and faith Act. 18. 27. Iohn 1. 12 13. maketh us the sonnes of God for as many as received him to them he gave power to be the Sonnes of God even to them that beleeve in his name which are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the No true good in us by nature till regenerate will of man but of God Where he distinguisheth of two births the one naturall and the other spirituall a birth from men a birth from God a generation by nature a regeneration by the Spirit as he doth againe to Nicodemus Except a man be borne of Water and of the Spirit hee cannot enter the Kingdome of God and againe Yee Cap. 3. 5 6. Psal 2. 7. must be borne againe there is no naturall Sonne of God but the Lord Iesus we are all the adopted Sonnes of God in Christ and by Christ by his meanes we are raised up together and made to sit together Ephes 2. 6. Rom. 8. 17. in Heavenly places For saith the Apostle If we be children wee are also heires even the heires of God and heires annexed with Christ c. we bring nothing from our mothers wombe but death and damnation every one must say with David I was shapen in wickednes Psal 51. 5. and in sinne hath my mother conceived me Quis dabit mundum de immundo Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse What Iob 14. 4. can be had from the egge of a Cockatrice but a Serpent From a spider but venome from the Taxus tree in India but poyson from the bitter poole Exanthus but bitter water Wee have not Math. 7. Lambes from Woolves no grapes from thornes nor figges from thistles Well said the Schooleman Quòd dona naturalia in Adamo sunt corrupta supernaturalia ablata ille ut radix nos ut rami radix est venenata ergo rami Our naturall gifts in Adam were corrupt our supernaturall taken away he as the roote we as the boughes the root is poisoned therefore the boughes like the waters of Mara untill Moses put in the sweet wood untill God Exod. 17. infuse grace for by grace we are saved and where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more that as sinne had raigned unto death so Ephes 2. 8. Rom. 5. 20 21. might grace also raigne by righteousnesse unto eternall life The Pelagians held that sinne came by imitation not by propagation but Paul confuteth them saying As by one man sinne entred into the world and death by sinne and so death went over all men forasmuch as Rom. 5. 12. all men have sinned c. These men quoth Iude walke as Naturall men that is in all sinne and vanity as is said of the Gentiles That they walked in the vanity of their minde having their cogitations darkened being strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their hearts So Paul reasoned with the Corinths Are yee not carnall For whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions 1 Cor. 3. 3. are yee not carnall and walke as men even so reason wee with you When malice envy rancour whoredome covetousnesse pride raigneth among us are wee not naturall men For God would cut downe these sinnes as a sickle If yee live after the flesh yee shal dye but if yee through the Spirit mortify the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8. 13. yee shall live Yea many naturall men goe before us in brideling their lusts and affections Aristides being by the unjust Law of Ostracisme in Athens banished and being asked what hee would to Athens answered Se nihil velle quin tantam rerum prosperitatem ut illis nunquam in mentem veniat Aristides hee desired nothing We should strive to exceed naturall men but so much prosperity to Athens as that they might never remember Aristides The like is said of Phocion condemned to drink hemlocke the juce whereof through extreme cold is poison Being asked what he would unto his Sons said Nothing sed ne hujus unquam iniuriae velint meminisse but that they should never remeÌ„ber this injury Socrates by Philosophie brideled whoredome in himselfe and Telamon by it bare the death of his sonne patiently saying Sciebam me genuisse mortalem I did know that I begat a mortall man I take no pleasure in these prophane examples save only to ashame us as Paul did the Athenians by Aratus and the Cretians by Epimenides and the Corinths by Menander Let our righteousnesse exceed theirs else there is no roome for us in Gods Kingdome our life must have all vertues in it such a life led the Christians they could be touched with no open crime or notorious fault but that they sung Psalmes to Iesus before day as Plinius secundus writeth of them to the Emperour our Saviour Christ told his disciples that their justice must exceed the justice Mat. 5. 20. of the Scribes and Pharises and so must wee tell all Christians that they must exceed Turkes and Pagans or else they shall never see the goodnesse of the Lord in the Land of the liuing yet it is reported
lest we deprive him of hope so we may not be too soft with an obstinate man lest we increase his pride the one may be driven to desperation the other to presumption we may not incidere in Scyllam evitare Charybdim We must not fall into Scylla to avoid Charibdis but draw out Gods sword and lay Gods axe to the roote of their trees so S. Paul in one of his Epistles to Mat. 3. the Corynthians used oyle to mollify in the other wine to search 1 Cor. 5. the wounds hee brought not a search-cloth but a searing iron For there bee foure uses of the Scripture to teach 2 Tim. 3. 16. trueth to confute errour to instruct in manners to reprove viciousnesse of life this aggravated the sinne of Ananias that hee Act. 5. 4. sinned willingly and this extenuated the sinne of the Iewes that they did it ignorantly Ignorantia enim liberat non à toto sed à tanto If Elymas had beene a weake brother Paul would not have used the Act. 3. 17. roughnesse that he did but because he was an inveterate enemy steeped in his Lees frozen in his dregs he rattleth him up and saith O full of all subtilty and mischiefe the child of the Divell and Act. 13. 10. enemy of all righteousnesse wilt thou not cease to pervert the straight wayes of the Lord So Saint Peter dealt with Simon Magus Thy money Act. 8. 20. perish with thee because thou thinkest that the gift of God may be obtayned with money Iames and Iohn were filij tonitrui sonnes of thunder wee had need now not speake but thunder not use tongues but trumpets men are so asleepe that they will not awake except we thunder It is said of the three Ministers of Geneva Vireto nemo fatur dulcius Farrello nemo tonuit fortius Calvino nemo docuit doctius None ever spake more sweetly then Viret none thundred more strongly than Farrell none taught more learnedly than Calvin He that could doe all these three were a perfect Minister A Christian must not be afraid to reprove sinne Noah reproved the old world Lot Sodom and Gomorah Samuel Saul Nathan David the King Iaddi and Ahias Ieroboam the Idolater Hanani 1 Reg. 13. 1 Reg. 14. Asa Elias Ahab Ieremy but what should I rip up all the Prophets Christ Iohn the Baptist the Apostles Ignatius reproved Trajane Ambrose Theodocian Polycarpe Martion Chrysostome the Clergy Gelasius Anastasius All these reproved sinne and are presidents to us to doe the same If Herod will marry his brothers wife Let Iohn tell him Non licet it may not be if Ahab will goe The Prophets of God have terrified the wicked to Ramoth in Gilead Michea must tell him hee shall never returne if Amazia forbid Amos to preach hee may tell him Thy wife shall be an harlot in the Citty and thy sonnes and thy daughters shall fall by the sword and thy land shall be divided by line and thou shalt dye in a Mat. 14. 1 Reg. 22. Amos 7. 17. polluted Land and Israel shall surely goe into captivity If the men of Ierusalem will scorne us and our doctrine Let us say unto them Heare the Word of the Lord yee scornefull men Thus saith the Esa 23. 14 17. Lord Iudgement will I lay to the rule and righteousnesse to the ballance and the haile shall sweepe away your vaine confidence c. This teacheth Ministers to deale plainely and roundly not to blanch not to bring honey in stead of wormewood not to do as the false prophets did of whom God speaketh thus They have healed the hurt of Ier. 6. 14. the daughter of my people with sweet words saying Peace peace when there was no peace This was their sinne the prophets looked out Lamen◠2. 14. vaine and foolish things for you they have not discovered your iniquities but have looked out false prophesies and causes of banishment Esay said of the prophets of that time Qui ducunt te Esay 9. 15. seducunt te The leaders of the people cause you to erre and they that are ledde by them are devoured they should have mourned not piped Ieremy cried out against these prophets I have seene in the prophets of Ierusalem filthinesse they commit adultery and walke in Ier. 23. 14. lyes they strengthen also the hands of the wicked that none can returne from his wickednesse they are all unto me as Sodom and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorah therefore thus saith the Lord of Hostes Behold I will feed them with wormwood and make them drinke the water of gall for from the Prophets of Ierusalem is wickednesse gone foorth into all the land Heare not the words of these prophets saith the Lord of Hosts that prophesie unto you and teach you vanity and speake the vision of their owne heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord they say still unto them that despise me The Lord hath said yee shall have peace and they say to every one that walketh in the stubbornnes of his owne heart No evill shall come upon you So did Ezechiel at Gods owne commandement cry out against these prophets saying Wo unto the foolish prophets that follow their owne spirit and have seene nothing O Israel thy prophets are Ezech. 13. 3 4. like the Foxes in waste places they have seene vanity and lying divinations c. And of these prophets Almighty God cōplaineth sore Ezeth 22. 25 26 28. saying The prophets are like roaring Lions ravening for the prey they have devoured soules they have taken the riches and precious things they have made her many widowes her priests have broken my Law and have defiled mine holy things They have put no difference betweene the holy and prophane neither discerned betweene the cleane and uncleane they have hidde their eyes from my Sabbaths and I am prophaned among them they dawbe with untempered mortar seeing vanities and divining lies c. Ministers must not be of the number of these prophets but they must cry alowd and not spare they must lift up their voices like trumpets they must shew the people their offences and the house of Esay 58. 1. Iacob her sinnes Christ who brake not a bruised reede yet thundered against the Pharises and denounceth many woes against They that reproove profit more thā they that sooth them This also teacheth the people to suffer the Word of Exhortation but flatterers are most esteemed of them such as can sow Mat. 12. 20. cap. 25. Esay 30. 10. 1 Reg. 22. 8. pillowes under their elbowes and can preach placentia pleasing things unto them Ahab cannot abide Michea if he prophesy otherwise than hee would have him This is the difference betweene a wise man and a foole the wise will heare rebukes but the foolish will not so saith Salomon Rebuke not a scorner meaning them that are incorrigible such as Christ calleth dogges Prov. 9. 8. and hogges or he
evill communications that is often conversation with the wicked noted by the plurall number corrupt good manners yea the Apostle is so severe in this point that hee will not have a wicked person suffered in the Congregation and therefore hee commandeth the incestuous Corinthian to bee cast out that is excommunicated and hee giveth the reason Know yee not that a 1 Cor. 5. 5. little leaven sowreth a whole lumpe Intimating thereby that one evill person might corrupt the whole Church and a little Colloquintida marreth a whole messe of pottage one scabbed sheepe 1 Reg. 4. 39. infecteth a flocke one sparke of fire may burne an house and one infected house may spoyle a Citie one roote of bitternesse Hebr. 12. 15. suffered to spring up may trouble and defile many sinne is as contagious as any disease and wee are as apt to take the contagion of sinne as of the plague This knew David well enough and We must hate sinne because God hates it in all therefore hee crieth out Depart from me yee wicked keepe aloofe come not neere me to infect my Royall person For I tell you plainely I will keepe the Commandements of my God Even so wee Psal 16. should not brooke the society of them that bee vile and wicked and hate to bee reformed and cast Gods Words behind them Psal 50. 17. But some will say This is a doctrine of precisenesse they say wee need not be so severe against sinners peccata eorum sunt parva pauca their sinnes be but small and few But small sinnes may wound the conscience and damne us if wee looke not to them to strive against them A mouse is but litle yet killeth he an Elephant if he get into his truncke a Scorpion is little yet able to sting a Lion unto death the Leopard being great is poysoned with an head of garlicke a little spittle of a man fasting will kill a serpent and the Divell by little sinnes will wound us to death The sinne and the coate of the sinne is to be hated quoth Ambrose Lib. 6. Hexameron A reason may be drawne from the blessed Trinity God the Father hateth sinne The foolish shall not stand in his sight and hee hateth them that worke iniquity Therefore we his children must hate Psal 5. 5. it God the Sonne hateth sinne saith the Apostle Thou hast loved righteousnesse and hated iniquity therefore we his fellow brethren Hebr. 1. 9. fellow heires must hate it that wee may be like our elder brother God the Holy Ghost hateth it therefore it is said Greeve not the Spirit by whom we are sealed unto the day of Redemption Ephes 4. Gen. 3. 15. Therefore wee the temples of him must hate it wee must hate the serpent and the seed of the serpent By the hatred of God against the sinne of Achan judge of all sinne As great as the Eagle is yet one may see her vertue in a feather for it consumeth all feathers as mighty as the fire of Aetna is yet one may feele the heate of it in a sparke as huge as the sea is yet one may taste the saltnesse of it in a droppe as great as the Whale is yet we may feele the power of him in one breath Hercules body was knowne by the length of his foote and wee by this sinne of Achan may know Gods hatred against all sinnes For the theft of Achan buried close under the ground brake forth such a stinch in the nostrils of God as that his garment brought the plague to the whole host and God no lesse hateth it in all men Finely saith Augustine Deus in non renatis odit peccata personas God hateth in the not regenerate both their sinnes and also their persons in renatis verò odit peccata non personas in the regenerate hee truly hateth their sinnes but not their persons as the physician hateth the disease of the sicke man not his person or body of the sicke Againe From whence commeth sinne but from the Divell What meane we then to joyne with Satan our enemy and the enemy of God Hee that committeth sinne is of the Divell for the Divell sinneth from the beginning Resist the Divell therefore give 1 Iohn 3. 8. no place to him He is an adversary and shall wee love him Hee Sinne must be hated as it tends to Gods dishonor is a serpent and shall we trust him Hee is a murderer and shall we intertaine him Sin is furthered by him therefore let us hate it I grant that some enemies are to bee loved because they are our enemies onely whereupon saith our Saviour Love your Iam. 4. 7. 1 Pet. 5. 8. Apoc. 10. â—ohn 8. 44. Mat. 5. 44. enemies doe good to them that hate you pray for them that persecute you And some are to be hated because they are Gods enemies and the friends of Satan so Iohn the sonne of Hanani the Seer went out to meete Iehosaphat and said unto him Wouldest thou helpe the 2 Chro. 19. 2. wicked and love them that hate the Lord Therefore for this thing the wrath of the Lord is upon thee And so the wrath and judgement of God is over all those that support the wicked and will not shew themselves enemies to all such as hate the Lord. Wicked men must be hated but yet for their evill not as the evill concerneth any way us but as the evill tendeth to the dishonour of God Simeon and Levi hated the Sychemites for the Gen. 34. 25. sinne of their sister Dinah but this hatred sprang not in that God was dishonoured by this sinne but from a regard of themselves because that hereby they might receive some disgrace So Absalon is said to have hated his brother Amnon because hee had forced his sister Tamar and two yeeres after he murdered his 2 Sam. 23. 22. brother for this fact this hatred of Absalon against Amnon though it were for Amnons wickednesse yet it was not good but wicked for the originall of this his hatred was not simply the sinne of Amnon as committed against God but because Absalon had some speciall disgrace hereby For Tamar was borne to David of the same woman that was mother also to Absalon But we must hate the wicked for their dishonoring of God and not suffer them to goe unreproved nor unpunished Immmunity and impunity cause much iniquity I would learne this Are Papists the friends of God or his enemies If they bee friends Why have wee professed otherwise these many yeeres If they bee enemies then doe wee well not to suffer them You know what Christ said to the Church of Pergamus I have a few things against Apoc. 2. 14. thee because thou hast there them that maintaine the doctrine of Balaam which taught Balac to put a stumbling blocke before the children of Israel Vers 15. that they should eate of things sacrificed unto Idols and commit fornication even so