vnwillingly or after any sort the latter signifieth to entertaine or receiue willingly to welcome Therefore of this word commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the right hand That which we doe vnwillingly is done as it were with the left hand sinisterly and vntowardly but that which we do willingly it is done as it were with the right hand dexterouslie aptly and handsomely to receiue the word here therefore signifies to welcome to embrace with willingnes and liking and to apply it to themselues This is then the third degree of Faith to welcome entertaine embrace the word with readinesse willingnesse loue delight and to apply the same particularly to our owne hearts and consciences This is also of meere grace without which grace none can be saued Many heare the word with the outward eare many do also vnderstand it and beleeue it to be true but few receiue the same into the heart to giue it intertainment and rooting there In Acts 8. 21. Simon Magus beleeued the Gospell historically yet Peter saith there that his heart was not vpright in the sight of God In Acts 5. 3. Ananias beleeued the Gospell and seemed to bring forth fruits thereof as did the other Christians but it was not rightly receiued into the heart for hypocrisie which is is the worke of Satan and sauing faith which is the worke of the spirit cannot dwell together in one heart Iudas vnderstood and beleeued the word and was a Preacher thereof but it was neuer intertayned and rooted in his heart but thorny couetousnesse was rooted therein which in the end choaked the word So 2 Tim. 4. 10. Demas was a follower of Paul but the loue of the world was neuer rooted out of his heart therefore in time it choaked the word c. Iulian the Apostata giue intertainment to the word but pride was neuer rooted out of his heart therefore it choaked the word in him 1 Tim. 5. 11. Paul speakes of young widowes that hauing entertained and professed the word doe afterward waxe wanton against Christ and break their first faith because concupiscence and fleshly lust was neuer rooted out of their hearts therefore it choaked the word in them When as the word is receiued into the heart together with these and such like lusts which our Sauiour Christ calleth thornes Math. 13. 24. the thornes being naturall to the heart and therefore hauing strong rooting must needs in time ouergrow and choake the word euen as weedes being naturall to the earth doe ouergrow and pine away the corne that it cannot fructifie And this is the condemnation of the multitude I meane of the common hypocriticall Protestants which giue entertainment to the word but expell not their beloued company or guest their head personall sinne with the branches and fruits thereof either must Christ and that sinne dwell together or else must Christ be expelled that it may rule But cast out the bond-woman with her children for shee and her sonnes cannot be heyre with the free if Isaack be heyre then must Ishmael be cast out and if the birth-right belong to Iacob Esau cannot haue it Crucifie the olde man with his children the lusts of ignorance and the workes of darkenesse for if the sonne of God by his word and spirit hath taken possession of your hearts and dwell therein as owner and heyre then cannot the bond-womans sonne be heyre whether it be pride or couetousnesse or enuy or fleshly lust which spring out of originall corruption The word of God and naturall lust cannot both dwell together they cannot both be heyres they cannot both be maisters but being contrary one to the other the one of them will haue the dominion and vpper hand sinne and Satan lay claime to all by right of antient inheritance from many descents but the word is the sword of the spirit driuing them out of the heart and cutting them downe As Ioshuahs sword slue all the ancient inhabitants of Canaan and placed the Israelites therein euen so must wee cast out and subdue these Canaanitish lusts and affections the word must be as a sword or sacrificing knife in vs to cut downe these ancient in-bred inhabitants worldly lusts yea as the Land of Canaan spued forth her Inhabitants so must we cleare our hearts of this menstruous filth that they may be Temples for the holy Ghost euen as Salomons Temple beautified and adorned with holinesse righteousnes faith goodnes meekenesse loue truth continence temperance and all vertue 4. Degree of Faith is their intertayning and embracing of the word in such sort as is peculiar and proper to the word which is propounded first negatiuely not as the word of Men and then affirmatiuely but as the word of God Heerein appeareth euidently the difference betweene hypocrites and true beleeuers Infidels heare the word of God altogether as the word of man Hypocrites receiue the word of God as the word of man that is they allow it to be the word of God so farre forth as it is agreeable to their liking and wherein it differeth from them they contemne and put it off from them as but the word of man this is therefore the meere and especiall and sauing grace of God to receiue the word as from God and not from Man The Pharisees heard the pure word of the Gospell from the mouth of the Sonne of God himselfe but because he was in the shape and forme of man therefore they receiued it but as the word of man Iohn 8. 13 Thou bearest record of thy selfe c. Mark 6. 2. Our Sauiour Christs Countrymen friends kinsfolks hearing his wisedome and seeing his workes were astonied but beleeued not in him What was the cause Vers 3. Is not this the Carpenter Maryes Sonne brother of Iames Ioses c. They looked with fleshly eyes on his outward appearance only and esteemed his word but according to his outward appearance therefore it became vnprofitable to them Such like Pharisees are the heads of the Romish Church the teachers and maintainers of hypocrisie which auouch that the written word hath no authority with vs but by their approbation and what is their approbation First they wrest it to such a sence as may serue for the erecting and maintaining of their owne authority and their Antichristian synagogue and then hauing adulterated it and made it their owne word they giue allowance to it Heereupon euery Impe of that Church will not heare the word as the word of God but as of the Church that is of the Pope and his Cardinals and in this they rest satisfied and resolued thinking it heresie to receiue the word meerely as the word of God Of this sort are all prophane Esaues and Epicurish Politicians which count themselues Protestants but are not they acknowledge and receiue the olde and new Testament as the word of God but as for Doctrines Instructions Vses and especially Applications thereof they receiue as but the word of men and chiefly when the
application thereof concernes their reformation in particular As the Papist counts the true interpretation of Scriptures heresie and vnder that name reiects it so the carnall Gospeller counts the true vses and applications of the word precisenes and vnder that name or terme contemnes it So that as the one denyes the truth and embraceth errour so the other confessing the truth in generall doth wilfully refuse it in particular and liueth after his owne lust without the word and whether of these is the better What is the cause that many doe not heare and receiue the word with that reuerence and obedience as they ought as their whole life and conuersation doth shew It is because they receiue it as the word of man for if they were fully perswaded and seriously beleeued that it were the very word of God they would not so lightly regard it and liue so dissolutely For who dare be bold to fight against God Who dare contemne him and deride him to his face as many doe If men dare not doe this to an earthly Prince without feare yea cold feare troubling their thoughts and loosing the ioynts of their loynes how comes it to passe that they dare so boldly chalenge God the combate and with petulant derision prouoke him The reason is because they receiue it as the word of man and thinke they haue to deale with man and not with God this is the cause of their contempt and disobedience For if they were touched with any sence or feeling of the presence of Gods maiesty and that they receiued the word as from his owne mouth surely there is no man liuing that durst so dally and trifle with the word much lesse withstand it or haue it in derision It is a maruell therefore to see and heare how many take liberty to themselues to dally with and to make a ieast of the Word to be touched with no reuerence or feare of the same But indeed what maruell is it to see an infant thrust his hand into the fire without feare or doubting or to see a blinde man goe willingly into the pit or a drunkard inraged with wine to run desperately on the swords point or a madde man to kill himselfe Did not the rebellious Israelites deride the word of the Lord sent to them by all his Prophets Did not Corah Dathan and Abiram with their consorts wittingly and wilfully rebell against the Lord in the person of Moses whose authority they saw euen with their owne eyes that it was giuen him of God Did not the Israelites cast off the Lord from being their Gouernour in the person of Samuell They haue not cast thee away but they haue cast mee away that I should not raigne ouer them 1 Sam. 8 7. Did not the Iewes contemn and cast off the word of the Lord spoken by Ieremie saying that it was not the Lords word but the malicious counsell of Baruch Ier. 43. 2. 3. Did not the counsel of the Iewes with the high Priest count the Gospell sedition and rebellion which the Apostles taught as Gods owne spirit gaue them vtterance Acts 5. 28. Did not Tertullus the Orator count Paul a pestilent fellow a moouer of sedition and an heretike Acts 24. 5. Yea if wee recount from the beginning of the world wee shall see that infidells and hypocrites haue alwaies heard and receiued the word of the Lord as the word of man and vnder that pretence haue euer with stood the same and cast it off from them especially if it were not to their owne liking or that they could not politickely make some vse of it for their bodily turnes No maruell then is it if in these latter Atheisticall and Epicurish dayes the word of the Lord take no place among many but be turned lightly off as the word of man yea and had in derision as but the vnaduised rash and indiscreet speeches of a phantasticall spleenfull or precise fellow as Eli supposed the sober and feruent prayers of Anna and certaine Iewes termed the gifts of the holy Ghost drunkennesse But this were a maruell if that God should come from heauen in the shape of a man for no mortall man can liue in his glorious presence and should conuerse familiarly with vs preaching the glad tidings of the Gospell in all lenity and mildenesse hauing in his person doctrine and conuersation matter to prouoke and allure all men euen the poorest the meanest the ignorantest the Publicane the sinner the weake-harted the troubled conscience to follow him embrace him loue him reioyce in him being meeke lowly in heart mercifull and pittifull mourning and sorrowing for the hardnesse of mans heart weeping for our miseries calling all to repentance refusing none that in any sincerity came vnto him louing all in whom any token of present or future grace appeared reprouing onely the enemies of mans saluation pride enuy hypocrisie couetousnesse and threatning iudgements against hard-hearted and obstinate rebels who seeke their owne glory in the destruction of Gods glory and kingdome and are enemies to their owne saluation and all other mens nay and besides this should not onely giue no appearance of euill but shew forth the glory of his God-like maiesty in all his words and workes publike and priuate It were a maruell I say if any man receiued not his word as the word of God being God himselfe and in all humility reuerence and obedience followed not him and yeelded not himselfe to doe homage vnto him Euen thus was God conuersant among his owne people the Iewes in the true shape of man but his owne receiued him not they heard his word but as the word of man and esteemed his life and holy conuersation but as of an ordinary man but this is more wonderfull that God preaching in the forme of man should be reiected as a deceiuer as a chiefe sinner as a worker with euill spirits as not worthy to liue among men Indeede if that Christ had preached some new and strange thing neuer heard of before they might haue had some pretence of reiecting his word but seeing that hee taught nothing but that which Moses and the Prophets foretold whose Disciples they profest themselues to be and whom they beleeued and yet beleeued not him but making him contrary to Moses Ioh 9. 28. who plainely set before their eies put into their eares and euen thrust into their hands all that they heard and read in Moses and the Prophets euery day that they might heare and see euen with bodily eyes and eares and handle the word of life It is a wonderfull thing I say that they should not receiue his word as the word of Moses and the Prophets and consequently of God What sottish stupidity is this What should thus bewitch them that being bereft of common sense as it were they should deny that especially which they most professed and reiected that by all meanes as most detestable which they most glory in and boasted of Nay if
from his euill way and the wickednesse that was in his hands Ionah 3. So it may be that the Pope with his Cardinals Fryers Monkes Priests c. together with the whole Citie of Rome would beleeue his word and receiue it as the word of Christ It may be they would acknowledge him reuerence him and honour him humbly submitting to his doctrine confessing their errors and sinnes and suffer themselues to be rightly enformed and reformed by him their guide gouernour and chiefe shepheard of their soules But I rather thinke that he should haue far worse intertainment among them then amongst the Pharisies and Iewes and Heathen that they would persecute both his doctrine and person with all indignities that might be deuised and because of his true miracles confounding their lying wonders would iudge him to be Antichrist of whom they haue already made Luther the fore-runner euen as the Pharisies counted him the greatest Sorcerer and to deale with the Prince of the Deuills by whose power he exceeded all other I suppose that they which so deuoutly worship and adore the Image of Christ and of the Apostles beautifying the same with such sumptuous ornaments and ouerlaying of gold would by all meanes dishonour the true Christ And his Apostles not onely contemning their persons and condemning their doctrines but also putting them to ignominious deaths I suppose that Seruus seruorum Dei would hardly re-deliuer the chayre giue the right hand or wall to Peter For as the Pharisies did to Christ the head so doe they to his Apostles and members likewise And as Antichrist doth now to the true Ministers and members so would he doe to the head For the afflictions of Christ are accomplished in his members by Antichrist who should also suffer the same in his owne person if hee were in the state of humiliation vpon the earth as he was Surely may some say it were a maruellous thing if it should be so I would thinke rather that Christ and his Apostles teaching the same doctrines and working the same or such like miracles should be heard and receiued of the Pope his Cardinalls c. as hee was of the faithfull in the Iewish Church I answere if hee should come indeede as Ignatius Loyala that prophane and bloudy souldier a Spaniard the Father of the Iesuites * came to Pope Paulus the third deuoting himselfe and his Disciples to him promising absolute obedience to him in all things without any exception and binding himselfe with an inuiolable oath that hee would to his vttermost power maintaine and vphold the Romish Church and See by all meanes possible if I say both his doctrine and miracles might serue for the glorifying of that carnall Idoll-gull and vpholding of his worldly Synagogue and See then without doubt hee shall haue great intertainement and in such sort also might he haue been intertained of the Pharisies yea of Herod or any worldling But now to come neerer to our selues what if Christ were in state of humiliation and in the very same outward appearance among vs as hee was among the Iewes or Paul Peter or any of the Apostles preaching the same Gospel that is now preached for none other Gospell could Christ himselfe preach than this which is already preached and expounding the seuerall texts thereof as hee did of the Prophets in the Temple and in the Synagogues handling the same in speciall and in particular applying the same fitly according to all circumstances yea speaking as his and their manner was to the heart conscience and spirit how should his words be heard whether as the words of God or as of man It may be he should be receiued of all men as hee was of Lazarus of Martha and Mary who poured a pound of very costly ointment on his head who washed his feete with her teares and wiped them with the hayres of her head It may be that all men would weep aboundantly fall on his necke and kisse him as the Christians did at Pauls departure from them Acts 20. 37. It may be that by all meanes possible they would shew their loue to him by prostrate obeysance and humble obedience by contemning all worldly things in comparison of his presence yea and by preferring one word of his mouth before all humane learning and knowledge It may be that all men from the highest to the lowest from the richest to the poorest from the mightiest to the weakest would wholly submit and subiect themselues to the obedience of his word and doctrine taking more pleasure therein than in all worldly pleasure and profit and deuote all their worldly goods might wisedome and learning to the aduancement thereof and there is no question but some of all degrees and estates would sincerely and deuoutly according to the gift of grace and measure thereof doe these things yea many doubtlesse would loue him embrace him reuerence him for the Gospels sake and admiring him would say doubtlesse the spirit of God is plentifull and very strong in this man so gracious are his words so holy is his conuersation amongst vs as wee may see true Christianity perfectly acted euen as the word teacheth and commandeth But on the other side what entertainment should he finde in the world I meane among the brutish sinners the ciuilly honest and the pharisaically religious for these are they that are called the World In what manner would carnall Gospellers heare and receiue his pure spirituall and heauenly Sermons What manner of tast and relish would his words haue in their eares What repentance would there be wrought What confession Contrition Satisfaction of wrongs done with Zacheus What conuersion What obedience to his doctrine What reformation either of themselues or of those and those things that are in their power to alter and order according to his doctrine How would sinners and wicked liuers heare him I meane all such as propound their owne glory and profits or pleasures the end of all their actions and endeauors inwardly and outwardly for they that make these and such like things their principall ends can neither doe good deed speake good word nor thinke good thought all their life long How would the greedy churle heare him that loues to think and meditate of nothing but gaine to speake nor doe any thing that tends not one way or other to his bodily profit How would the lustfull person heare him that makes his whore and wanton woman his Idoll How would many rauening Lawyers such as make authority a cloake of destruction vnhappines too many now a daies heare him that stand continually waiting and gaping for the bride whereby the poore is oppressed the hands of reuengeful persons of cruell churles are strengthened against their neighbours and whereby the mouthes of superstitious and prophane liuers are opened and hands strengthened against God himself in his Word and Ministers How would I say worldlings of all sorts heare him How would they entertaine him What would they say
parties hating the one and not louing the other What say you now being in this tune that you are in Put the case that Iohn the Baptist or Paul or Peter c. or any of the holy men of former times should come to Preach among you put the case that Iesus Christ himselfe should come I meane not working miracles nor discouering themselues but preaching and teaching in such manner as they did to the Iewes to other peoples when they liued on earth You say you would heare them follow them reuerence and honour them confesse your sinnes you would spend goods body and life for them you would cast all that you had at their feete and suffer your selues to But the manifest trueth is that Christ himselfe should finde no better entertainment than your Minister now doth nay farre worse for Christ vsed to speake to the spirits of men seeing hee knew the thoughts of their hearts and their secret sinnes and therefore would you persecute him with more deadly hatred Hee would not preach comfort I warrant you to obstinate and hard hearted Pharisees nor frame his speeches to the liking of their corrupt iudgments and earthly imaginations as you would haue your Minister to doe But you will say hee would be innocent harmelesse sinnelesse giuing none occasion no appearance of euill yea hee would stoppe the mouthes of the worst that they could not speake one euill word of him But by your leaue that is well spoken which is well taken and that is well done that is well construed If you be of froward dispositions and euill harts how would you take that at his hands which were contrary to you how would you being of ignorant and corrupt iudgements interpret his words and censure his doings It mattereth not onely who is the speaker and what is spoken but also who is the hearer and how it is heard The serpent can finde poison there where the Bee can finde no poyson but honey And I haue often heard them say that the cunning Alchymist can draw gall out of hony and hony out of gall you must therefore consider what heart and eares you haue I tell you plainely that vnlesse Christ should put new hearts into your bodies you would heare him no otherwise then you doe your owne Minister that cannot giue you new hearts And though hee be most holy yet would you esteeme him a sinner What I pray you said the proud and couetous Pharisees of him Hee is a glutton a drinker a common companion Matthew 11 19. A deceiuer Matthew 27. 63. A Sorcerer or worker with euill Spirits Matthew 9. 34. Hee hath a Deuill and is madde why doe you heare him Iohn 10 20. Hee is a Samaritane and is frantike Iohn 8. 48. They know that hee is a sinner Iohn 9. 24. yea his owne kinsmen layed hands on him supposing that hee was madde Mark 3. 21. How then I pray you would the proud couetous Pharisees in these daies receiue him How would prophane mockers heare him Euen worse then they doe your Minister or any other faithfull Pastor elsewhere For the more purely that the word of God is preached the more doth it dissent from the corrupt heart and more neerely searcheth it and makes sinners more sinfull working more forcibly in the conscience Heereupon the rebellious sinner presently seekes for false releefes ease and comforts and that is by returning all vpon the Minister hee is a Puritane hee is phantasticall precise indiscreete vncharitable now he speakes to himselfe for wee are no such men hee speakes out of pride malice enuy choller false information there 's none worse then himselfe such Christianity cannot be acted c. How I pray you did they censure Iohn the Baptist Hee hath a Deuill the Deuill is in him a grimme dogge a melancholy fellow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. How then would you speake of him and of Christ If new wine be poured into olde vessells whosoeuer poures it in and howsoeuer it be poured in the vessels will burst And if a new peece be sewed to an old garment how good soeuer the peece be and how cunning soeuer the taylor be it will rent away part of the olde for the olde vessell cannot containe the new wine nor the olde rotten garment retaine the new cloath If the pure word of God from Christs owne mouth were applied to your olde fleshly and rotten hearts what containing or retaining would there be of it Againe so long as you are carnall how can you iudge of those things which are spirituall The naturall man cannot perceiue the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse to him nothing sounds well to his eare but that which sauours of flesh and bloud And therefore many dainty eared men can away with none but with schollerlike Sermons The Word must sauor of humane wisedome and learning else there is no more taste in it than in water hee cannot abide to drinke it but if it hath sugar in it or be mixt with wine then for the sugar and wines sake hee drinks it off and commends it not simply but secundum quid But the pure word of God hath neither good taste nor good farewell it goeth downe either like water in the sottish or like wormewood and gall in the hard-hearted and malitious Iudge now I pray you how your froward rich men would heare receiue entertaine and welcome Iesus Christ in whom they say they beleeue whom they loue aboue all and by whom they hope to bee saued I feare that they which so greatly commend your fine man that preacheth more Greeke Latine and Hebrew then English and which are so delighted and comforted with his languages if Iesus Christ were preaching to them in such manner as hee did on the earth would hardly giue him friendly intertainement they would hardly all agree to make him a stipend or contribution I doubt some would giue him neuer a penny euen of them that are the most able Mataeolog I am no Scripture man I cannot answer you to euery thing but it will not sinke into my head but that we should all heare and obey Christ Though wee be bad enough as there is none good but God yet wee are not so bad I trust whatsoeuer you say I hope you are no Prophet it is hard for you to iudge what wee are much lesse can you tell what you would be Eulalus I perceiue well that you are no Scripture man for it appeares by you that that gift is not yet giuen to you neither doe you as yet desire it For it may be that you are afraid to be termed a Puritane or to be mocked of your friends companions and you loue not to be mocked Whereas you say that I am no Prophet It is enough for me that you are a Prophet in these things For I haue said nothing but that which you haue said and I build vpon your reason and common reason You said euen