birth a quickning or regeneration to teach vs that as in our naturall birth and first creation we are no agents at all to giue life will or motion to our selues but all proceeds from him who breatheth life into a liuelesse body right so in our new birth or new creation which is our conuersion vnto God we which to grace are whollie dead cannot poâ—â—iblie be any agents to giue either a spirituall life and quickning or will or motion vnto our selues but all proceeds onely from that spirit of grace by which being first spiritually reuiued and quickned we are then made both willing and able to performe the workes of grace And like as iron of it selfe being a dead and dull mettall hath no other motion nor inclination at all but onely to the earth and centre yet when it is once touched with the loadstone it then directs all his course and motions toward the pole in heauen nor euer can rest till it point thereat Euen so it is in vs we of our selues in this our depraued nature being in all spirituall actions like iron of a very hard and besides of a dull and dead metall all the motions affections and inclinations both of our minde and will bâ—nd onely to the earth and to base and earthly desires but when once our hearts are touched with Gods spirit as with a loadstone and wee anointed with that sacred vnction of which the Apostle saith that it is Hâ—lie then by the force and diuine vertue and vigour thereof both our selues our wils and actions are conuerted and turned towards God and toward heauen and bend to Christ Iesus as to the onely Cynosure and that celestiall pole whereby we are directed in this our short but very troublesome and tempestuous pasâ—age till we arriue at our last and best hauen in Gods kingdome and in heauen All which God most cleerely expresseth to be his owne worke and in no part ours Ezek. 36. A new heart will I giue you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away your stonie heart and I will giue you an heart of flesh and I will cause you to walke in my statutes to keepe my iudgements and to doe them The giuing of a new spirit to quicken of a new heart to will and desire the changing of our stonie and as S. Austen cals them inflexible hearts into pliable and teachable hearts of flesh the making of vs to walke in his statutes and to do them all this God challengeth wholly to himselfe alone leauing nothing in this whole worke for vs but only that excellent confession of S. Cyprian so often commended by S. Austen In nullo gloriandum est quia nihil est nostrum we must boast our selues of nothing because nothing is our owne but all is the gift and worke of God As for the maner of this working of God in our hearts though I may not in this straitnesse of time at large staie to vnfolde it yet suffer me in this place especially though but in few words to touch the same the rather because hereon in my opinion depends the very point and maine issue of the whole controuersie twixt vs and them For it is most iniurious to the grace of God which they teach that in our conuersion Gods grace is onely excitans gratia as if by it we were only awakened out of some slumber or sleepe in sinne The efficacy of which grace consists as they suppose in those motions inducements and suggestions which God proposeth to our vnderstanding that our reason being enlightned and enformed thereby our will of it selfe without any further agencie or speciall worke of God may at his owne choice freely yeeld or denie assent thereto This Bellarmine at large declareth in his first booke De gra lib. arbitr and in diners chapters thereof where in the whole scope of his treatise hee sheweth that God in our conuersion is no Physicall but onely a morall cause and agent which works suadendo hortando corsulendo as he saith by aduising exhorting proposing perswasions vnto vs as if a man should perswade his friend to some iourney or voyage which he were able to vndertake but onely vnwilling till he were induced thereto by some reasons which is Bellarmines owne comparison And to omit other citations in his 6. booke 15. chap. and 8. proposition he expresly saith Gratia dei quantumuis essicax nihil est aliud nisi suasio quae non determinat voluntatem sed inclinat per modum proponentis obiecti the grace of God how effectuall soeuer it be is nothing els but a suggestion and motion which doth not determine the will but incline it by proposing obiects vnto it I will heere omit what before out of the Scripture is declared that Gods grace in our conuersion is not onely an excitant but a viuificant grace whereby we are not wakened but reuiued and quickned as the Apostle saith from the death of sinne as also that it is not onely an alluring or perswading but an attracting and drawing grace as both Christ himselfe witnesseth None can come to me except the father draw him and his Church acknowledgeth Draw me and we will run after thee Of which drawing S. Ierome truely obserues handling those words of our Sauiour in his 3. booke aduersus Pelagianoâ— frangit superbientem arbitrij libertatem this doth ouerthrow the arrogant freedome of our wil for he that is drawen comes not of his owne will sed aut retrectans tardus aut inuitus adducitur but either with strugling or vnwillingly is hee brought vnto Christ. But to omit these S. Austen is most cleere and pregnant in refuting these new Romish but in verie deed old Pelagian fancies In his first booke against Pelag. and Celest. 10. chap. he first shewes how Pelagius with these very answers of Bellarmine shifted off that testimony of S. Paul It is God that worketh in vs to will he works it said Pelagius when by reuealing wisedome in desiderium Dei stupentem susâ—itat voluntatem he awakens and stirres vp our stupid will to the desire of God when he enflames vs with proposing the promises of future glory rewards and when he doth suadâ—re omne bonuÌ„ aduise and counsell vs vnto all goodnesse Thus said Pelagius Sed nos eam gratiam nolumus saith S. Austen but this is not that grace which the Scripture which we do teach for it is not enough that the promises be proposed vnlesse they be beleeued nor that wisedome be reuealed vnlesse it be loued nec suadetur solum omne quod bonum est verùm persuadetur neither doth Gods grace in our conuersion onely counsell and perswade vs vnto good but it makes a man effectually to yeeld vnto Gods motions and perswasions and in the 24. chap. speaking of this very worke of God which is as he there saith inward and hidden he addes mirabili ac
A SERMON OF Sanctification Preached on the ACT Sunday at OXFORD Iulie 12. 1607. By RICHARD CRAKANTHORP Doctor of Diuinity LONDON Printed for Tho. Adams 1608. To the right Worshipfull his most louing Patron Sir IOHN Lâ—Vâ—SON Knight R. C. wisheth welfare and prosperity SIr I willingly acknowledge that by two assured bands of loue and duty I am obliged vnto you The former arose from that vnsained affection which I euer bare from my first acquaintance in our Colledge towards those three Gentlemen your sonnes In whom I haue alwaies both entirely loued and honoured those excellent vertues which giue an assured promise of much comfort to their Parents and fruit vnto their Countrey and of their happie succeeding in those vertuous steps of piety and true honour which both your selfe and their most renowmed Grandfather of honourable and blessed memorie Sir Walter Mildmay haue trode before them I am further engaged vnto you by that most louing respect it pleased you to haue of me when contrary to the corrupt custome of many Patrones in this age of your owne accord you called me to this place my selfe being farre absent and neither knowing nor once dreaming thereof In regard of both which if I present vnto you these small fruits of my studies in that place which by your meanes I quietly enioy I nothing doubt but you will receiue them not onely as an assured pledge of my loue vnto you but specially as a fit argument whereon to exercise your religious meditations and retired thoughts amids those manifold encombrances and troubled affaires which you now sustaine to all which wishing an happy end and issue and to your selfe encrease of all Gods graces and blessings I take my leaue From Black Notley in Essex this first of Decemb. 1607 Your Worships in all duty RICHARD CRAKANTHORP A SERMON OF Sanctification 1. THESSALON 5.23 Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and I pray God that your whole spirit and soule and body may be kept blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. WHat blessing the Apostle praied for the Thessalonians in this his conclusion and valediction vnto them the same do I wish vnto you Reuerend and right Worshipfull beloued in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ in this which I intend to be my last speech in this kind and my valediction to this place to which with the like euen the same Christian duty but with farre more and more effectuall bands of priuate affection I am more neerely tied and linckt than was euer S. Paul as I suppose to the Church and Saints of Thessalonica In the Apostles praier there are foure seueral points to be considered First the blessing which he praied for and that was sanctification and holinesse Sanctifie you and keepe you blamelesse Secondly the Author and worker of this sanctification and that is God who is heere described by one speciall title noting both his loue vnto vs and our loue one toward another The very God of peace sanctifie you Thirdly the maner of this sanctification which is that it must be totall and entire whereof two speciall branches are heere set downe The one internall in the spirit that is in our mind or vnderstanding and in our soule that is in our will and affections The other externall in our bodies and outward actions Sanctifie you throughout that 〈…〉 spirit and soule 〈◊〉 body may be kept 〈◊〉 The Fourth and last is the time and continuance in this sanctification and that is vnto our dying day Vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. Of these points while according to the strâ—â—tnesse of this time I shall entreat I earnestly desire once againe of our God the aâ—â—â—stance of his holy spirit and of you your Christian and wonted patience and attention Sanâ—â—ifie you The first point is the blessing which the Apostle wisheth to them namely sanctificaâ—ion and holinesse A duty so often required of vs in holy scripture that I may truly say of it the whole Law the Prophets and the Apostles do all aime at this In the 19. of Exod. God seueâ—ing his people from all other nations makes sanctity and holinesse to bee the badge of them If ye will heare my voice indeed and keep my couenant then shall yee bee my chiefe treasure aboue all people ye shall be also a kingdome of Priests and an holy nation vnto me In the 4. of Esay the Prophet saith of all Gods children They shall be called holy and euery one shal be written among the liuing in Ierusalem And againe Thy peo shall be all righteous And they shall call them the holy people the redeemed of the Lord. And in another place telling euery one of Gods children ye shall bee named the Priests of the Lord and men shall say vnto you The ministers of our God from hence he exhorts and perswades them all vnto sanctitie and holinesse Be ye cleane yee that beare the vessels of the Lord. The same reason doth Saint Peter vse in his 1. epist. chap. 2. Ye are a chosen generation a totall Priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people that ye should shew foorth the vertues of him that hath called you What a motiue and spur ought thiâ— to bee vnto vs to lead a sanctified and holy life that God himselfe doth professe of aâ—l such and of such only that they are his chosen and elected children that they are his chiefest treasure on which his heart is set as himselfe doth witnesse Eâ—ay 62. where speaking to euery one of his children hee saith Thou shalt bee called Hephzabah for the Lord delighteth in thee that they are to him for their renown as kings for sanctity as a kingdome of Priests That as the Priests in the old Law were not only to haue Vâ—im and Thummim vpon their breast plate to signifie that inward light of knowledge and perfection of piety that should bee in their hearts but to weare also a plate of pure gold vpon their foreheads whereon was engrauen as on a signet Holinesse to the Lord. So euery true Christian and childe of God being now by Christ himselfe and by his spirit appointed and anointed to be a Priest vnto God to offer vp not only those other spirituall sacrifices of praier praise and thanksgiuing which the Prophet calles the Calues of our lips but that which the Apostle reckons as the chiefe sacrifice of all other to offer vp our selues our soules and bodies as a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God they should all so shine foorth in piety and in the vertues of a godly life as if continually they did weare that Leuiticall plate or had engrauen in Capitall and faire letters vpon their foreheads that is in true and reall actions of their liues and conuersation Holinesse vnto the Lord. Let me then in a word exhort and beseech euery one of you to embrace this sanctity and holinesse of life Ye are the houses
cause to cut them off for euer Thou shouldest not haue beholden the day of thy brother when he was made a stranger thou shouldest not haue reioiced in the day of their destruction nor haue spoken proudly in the day of affliction neither shouldst thou haue looked on their affliction in the day of their destruction but as thou hast done it shall be done to thee thy reward shall be vpon thine owne head I might adde heereto a further iudgement of God mentioned in the Apostle Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a manslayer yee know that no manslayer hath eternall life abiding in him But hauing spoken thus much concerning that brotherly charitie and peace which wee ought to haue one towards another I would gladly adde somewhat of that peace which we all iointly owe vnto the Church of God Of this peace the prophet Dauid saith O pray for the peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that loue thee Peace be within thy wals Of this the Apostle saith I beseech you marke them diligently which cause diuision and offences contrary to the doctrine which yee haue receiued and auoid them for they that are such serue not the Lord Iesus for God is not the authour of diuision but of peace in all churches Of this Dionysius that ancient Bishop excellently writ to Nonatus when hee began his schisme as you may see in his epistle set downe by Eusebius in his 6. booke and 44. chap. If you Nonatus haue gone vnwillingly as you pretend from the Church shew it by your voluntary and willing returning to the Church againe Oportebat quidem nihil non ferre ne ecclesia Dei scâ—nderes you should haue borne with whatsoeuer rather then haue made a rent in the Church of God It is a more glorious martyrdome to suffer for auoiding a schisme then for auoiding the sinne of Idolatry In the one you suffer martyrdome but for one soule in the other you suffer for the whole Church of God Thus said Dionysius Of this Gregorie Nazianzen was so studious and zealous that when the Church at Constantinople began to be diuided as he supposed by occasion that he possessed that sea he openly said and his speech was much more commendable then his fact Si propter me ista tempestas If this stirre and tempest be for my sake take me cast me into the sea that the storme may cease and the Church may enioy her calme as Ruffinus reports in his 2. booke 9. chap. To this S. Cyprian at large perswaded in his booke de vnitate ecclesia Let no man thinke saith he that the good will depart from the Church Triticum non rapit ventus sed paleas It is not wheate but chaste which the winde blowes away Those can neuer abide in God that will not abide in the vnitie of the Church of God Though such giue their bodies to be burned or to be deuoured of wilde beasts Non est illa corona fides sed poena persidiae That is no crowne of their saith but a punishment for their perfidiousnesse Occidi talis potest coronari non potest A man may happily be killed but neuer crowned in a schisme Of this Martianus though no good bishop most passionately said when Sabbatius whom he had formerly ordained Presbyter began to make a tumult and diuision in the Church Multa satius â—â—â—sset It had beene much better and I wish rather I had laid my hands vpon thornes then imposed them vpon the head of this troublesome Sabbatius as Socrates relates in his 5. booke and 20 chap. For preseruing this peace Polycarp and other ancient bishops were so carefull that though they diâ—fered in iudgement about some rites and smaller matters yet neuer for that cause would they breake the vnitie of the Church or make a separation one from another as Eusebius declares in his 5. booke and 23. chap. Friuolum enim quidem meritò indicarunt consuetudinis gratia a se mutuò segregari eos qui in praecipius religionis capitibus consâ—ntirâ—nt saith Zozomen in his 7. booke and 19. chap speaking of Polycarp and Victor They iudged it friuolous and childish and indeed not without cause to disagree and make a separation for customes ceremonies when they did agree in the substance chiefe points of Religion For this S. Austen so earnestly pleads besides many other places thorowout his whole 7. bookes De Baptismo contra Donatistas that I suppose the diligent perusall of those bookes would easily perswade a man that is not too much led with a partiall or sâ—lfe conceit to do much and to suffer much more for the vnitie and peace of the Church of which hee thus saith Omnia bono pacis vnitatis esse toleranda That all things must be borne with for peace vnities sake cause him euer to shun yea detest a rent or schisme in the church of which he againe saith and prooues it in his 2. booke and 8. chap. That the sinne of schisme is more hainous then is the sin of Idolatry and more peremptorily in his 1. booke contra epist. Parmen 4. chap. sacrilegium schismatis omnia scâ—lera supergreditur there is no sin no sacriledge nor robbery so great as is this to rob Gods Chuch of her vnitie and peace But because I hasten to say somwhat of the other points which remaine I will not go forward in this so large and spatious a field but conclude this whole point of peace partly with those words of our Sauiour Haue salt in your selues and haue peace one towards another partly with the words of the Apostle Finally brethren fare yee well be of one mind liue in peace and the God of loue and peace shall be with you And this be spoken of the title that is here giuen to God that he is called The very God of peace Sanctifie you throughout that your whole spirit and soule and bodie may be kept blamelesse The maner of our sanctification which was the third generall point I proposed is heere set downe which is that it must be totall and intire that both our vnderstanding reason which is meant by the spirit and our will and affections which are meant by the soulâ— and our externall and outward actions which are meant by 〈…〉 may all be holy and so wee whollie sanctified in the sight of God By which integritie of sanctification the Apostle meanes not any such perfection of santitie as is voide of all sinne for the Scripture euerie where doth witnesse that no such sanctitie is to be expected or hoped for while we carry about thâ—se bodies of sinne The Apostles confesse plainly of themselues and such as are most righteous in this life In many things we sinne all And if we say we haue no sinne we make God a lyar and his word is not in vs. This was the prerogatiue of Christ alone that he knew no sinne and in all
ground of obedience though but in one point is indeed guiltie of all as being then ready vpon any occasion of his owne pleasure to take like allowance to himselfe in any part of the law as he hath alreadie done in that one And therefore God in his law requires an intire and totall obedience to be giuen to him Thou shalt loue the Lord with all thine heart and with all thy soule and with all thy strength Thou shalt obserue and doe all that I command thee Thou shalt not decline from any of the words which I command thee Let vâ— clense our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit Cast away all your transgressions and iniquities for why wil yee die O yee house of Iâ—raeâ— And to omit S. Austens comparison that euen one wound or disease if we neglect or refuse the cure thereof will endanger the whole body though the rest be â—ound or that one châ—nke if it be not preuented may endanger the whole shippe I rather propose that one but most effectuall testimonie of God Ezech. 18. If a father beget a sonne that is a theefe or a shedder of bloud 〈◊〉 he doe any one of these things though he doe not all these things but either hath eaten vpon the mountaines or defiled his neighbours wife or hath oppressed the poore and needy or hath spoiled by violence or hath lift vp his eies vnto Idols or hath giuen foorth vpon vsurie or hath taken encrease shall he liue He shall not liue but in the abominations that he hath done he shall die the death Consecrate therfore I beseech you your selues wholly vnto the Lord. Consecrate first as the Apostle heere teacheth your spirits and inmost affections vnto God for God loueth trueth in the inward parts And as he is a spirit so hee lookes to be serued first and chieflâ— in spirit and in trueth Be thou vpright said God to Abraham before me that is not onely before men but in my sight who search the hearts and reines without this all externall and outward holinesse is but Phaâ—saicall ostentation and that outward clensing of the cups and painting the tombes which within are full of hypocrisie and iniquitie full of filthinesse and rottennesse against which our Sauiour hath denounced a woe in the Gospell Well may yee by this visor of sanctitie dazell and bleare the eies of men as the Poet signified Pulchra lauerna da mihi sallere dâ—â—ustum 〈◊〉 eviderâ— but neuer can yee deceiue the al-seeing eies of him who saith by the Prophets I know thy dwelling thy going out and thy comming in and againe Mine eies are vpon all thy waies they are not hid from my face neither is their iniquitie hid from mine eies of whom the Psalmist saith Thou art about my path and about my bed spiest out all my waies there is not a word in my toong but thou knowest it altogether yea thou vnderstandest my thoughts long before and of whom the Apostle saith All things are naked and open vnto his eies Let me then heere say vnto you as Dauid did vnto his sinne when drawing neere vnto his death he bequeathed this as a part of his last and best legacie vnto him Thou my sonne serue thou the Lord with a perfect heart and with a willing minde for the Lord searcheth all hearts and vnderstandeth all the imaginations of thoughts it thou thus seeke him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he wil cast thee off for euer Consecrate next your bodies vnto God that as the Apostle heere wishes your bodies may be kept holy and without blame I beseech you by the mercies of God saith the Apostle that yee giue vp your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable to God and agaâ—ne Giue your bodies not as seruants of iniquitie vnto sinne but as weapons of righteousnesse vnto God Know yee not that your bodies are the members of Christ and temples of the holy Ghost and yee are not your owne for yee are bought with a price glorifie therefore God both in your spirit and in your bodies for they both are Gods Consecrate lastly your externall and outward actions vnto God that yee may shew foorth the vertues of him that hath called you and that your liues being as lamps of pietie vnto others may shine foorth in good works which God hath ordained that we should walke in them If wee haue onely outward sanctity wee deceiue others if we haue onely inward sanctitie wee deceiue our selues for neuer is faith charitie or holinesse rooted in the heart but it buds foorth and shewes it selfe in the fruits of good works and of a godly life If these things saith S. Peter that is godlinesse temperance patience brotherly kindnesse and loue be in you they will make you that yee shall neither be idle nor vnfruitfull in the knowledge of Christ. In the 2. Corinth and 5. chap. S. Paul giues a reason why he tooke all that toile and labour in the Gospell and in gaining others vnto God and the reason is this the loue of Christ saith he constraineth vs. Doubtlesse where the true loue of God and Christ is in a mans heart it will euen constraine him to his duty and to obedience vnto God and will be like the fire in Ieremies bosome which could not be shut vp but made him wearie of forbearing that he could not staie Amor Dei saith S. Gregorie otioâ—us non est operatur magna si est si operari renuerit amor non est Where the loue of God is it is not idle but works greatly where it doth not work it is not There were some euen in the Apostles time as S. Austen shewes who boasting of their faith and yet liuing a most dissolute and wicked life did recken themselues as good Christians and as sure inheritors of Gods kingdome as the best Which most pernicious and pestilent heresie being first broched by that arch-heretike Simon Magus as Irene declares in his first booke and 20. chap. was afterwards embraced and maintained by the Eunomians who taught as S. Austen shewes in his 54. heresie Ad quod vult that if a man did beleeue their doctrine it skilled not how he liued neither how many sinnes hee committed nor how long hee perseuered therein To which heresie when some in S. Austens own time inclined he purposely writ against them his book De side operibus the summe and effect wherof is the very same which S. Iames in his epistle most effectually vrgeth What auaileth it my brethren though a man say he hath faith when he hath no works Can such a faith saue him And the Apostle answering that such is but a dead and euen a diabolicall faith in the end he vseth a most fit comparison to expresse the same that as the body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without breath for