neede of humane Inforcements Againe this is an excellent proofe that there is one generall Teacher by a Diuine Light illuminating the Church and it giues great comfort to the members of it that in some matters of Religion one man beeing many hundred myles distant or borne many hundred yeares after another receiueth some bright euident and glorious Truth which he seeth plainly to bee true and heauenly but receiueth it not of man by hearing or reading but of God alone by Meditation and yet he shall meet with another man so farre from him or with some workes of one so farre afore him which will tell the same Truths as being by that one Teacher also reuealed vnto them Againe there were among the Martyrs and Fathers men of as great and sound vnderstanding as any of these Wizards are yea they haue at first as much contemned and reiected Christ by their naturall knowledge yet at length they haue changed their minds and haue sought him as ardently as before they contemned him despitefully Now you cannot imagine that they would haue forsaken the light of their naturall Reason but that they saw a more glorious Light neyther would they haue spared their Candle but vpon the rising of the Sunne And surely these Seers doe as much wonder at the naturall mans not seeing as the not-seers at the seeing But the God of this World hath blinded their eyes that the glorious Light of the Gospell should not shine vnto them and this blindnesse cannot bee taken away by Arguments and being taken away Arguments are needlesse And this must bee thought the true Reason why in the Councell of Nice the Reasons of the learned Fathers could not preuayle with the Heathen Philosopher yet the playne narration of the Faith by a simple Priest preuayled The vayle of the flesh lay on his heart and their Reasons could not take it away but the Spirit of God tooke it away then the euidēce of a plain proposed truth perwaded him And indeed God only hath the Key which vnlockes the heart and that is the spirit Eloquence and Logicall Demonstration are not those Keyes which may open the Soule That which is fastned in our generation must be loosed by Regeneration the remedie must bee equiualent yea preualent to the Disease It may not bee a naked bare and vnactiue word that may cure the deed of excecation done to the heart but it must be an operatiue forcible and effectual word that speaks what it does and does what it speakes If such a Word say let there bee light there shall be light and then the light of our soules shall see the great Obiect of our Soules the perfect Light Christ Iesus But before this light and sight bee created in vs let that Infinite Light shine right into the eyes of blindnesse and darknesse the darknesse will neuer comprehend it And euen to them that see they will deny their sight and sweare that they are blind also But whither it be fit for vs to beleeue their blindnesse or our owne sight let euery man iudge In their owne wisdome they will hold That Sensus non fallitur circa obiectum And by that will prooue the Sunne shines or the Swan is white because the vnhindered fence hath apprehended it to be so And why should not wee enioy the same priuiledge and say much more That a soule clarified and illuminated by the purest spirit is not deceiued in spirituall Obiects but as Salomon saith it seeth more and more truely then seuen men on a Watch-towre and as Paul saith The spirituall man discerneth spiritual things Surely the spiritual eye as properly and as naturally seeth spirituall things as the bodily eye doth bodily things yea it should doe it better and more assuredly because this spirituall sight came more newly immediately from the Maker but our fight comes from him to vs through many men and many infirmities of those men much soyled and dimmed And here comes in fitly to be answered a second Obiection which is an Imputation of captiuitie vndergone by our vnderstandings in the matter of Faith To this I answere That in true Religion it is not a brutish captiuitie by which the vnderstanding yeelds vp her eyes to be put out herselfe to bee blindfold but the vnderstanding receiuing a better sight yeelds vp the worse and so doth not loose her light but change it for a better yea it changeth captiuitie for freedome for euen that blindnesse that captiuated is is led into captiuity but the vnderstanding is more free then before as an eye that is freed from blindnesse For the Sonne by his Spirit hath freed vs from that naturall darknesse wherein we were borne 2. Cor. 3 16 17. But they will re-inforce this Obiection from the vsuall forme of teaching young or new Christians Their first instruction they say is to beleeue and they take Credo for their beginning But do Christians herein otherwise then other Teachers of Sciences It is knowne for a Maxime without the bonds of Religion Oportet discentem credere Hee that learnes an Arte must at first beleeue the Teacher of the Arte and then after being skilfull in his Arte hee may looke himselfe into the truth of his Art So in Christianity at first Religion must be receiued vpon trust but this is by Learners only not true and formed Christians The Church must at first teach her Children vntill they be taught by Christ and then indeed they are only true and formed Christians when Christ himselfe hath taught them Some of the Samaritans beleeued the woman at first concerning Christ but being taught by Christ they went beyond that beliefe and beleeued himselfe and they adde their Reason Wee now know that he is the Christ. So is Knowledge still the kindly foundation of our Religion which heerein out-strips other Arts. For the yong beginners must at first beleeue the Artists themselues and proceeding farther must generally vpon trust beleeue principles which they hold most from Aristotle who as the Doctor saith in his Preface is often contrary to himselfe and exceeds in grosse absurdities all them that went before him And if some transcendent spirits shake off trust and authority and search the Fountaines of things they find that the Principles themselues are indemonstrable and what cannot be demonstrated I hope must bee taken vpon blind beliefe But this fauour they will not allow vnto Christians neyther doe wee much desire it for we see and know our selues what we beleeue whereof wee affirme and wee see by the highest purest and most vndeceiueable light and we want not the Glow-worm of demonstration to tell vs that wee see the chiefest Light Christ Iesus by our Faith and the light which wee see is the same Light by which wee see Herein only is the trouble that we cannot communicate our sight vnto blindesse and they will not allow vs to beleeue by seeing what for want of seeing they cannot beleeue Therfore when with Stephen
this path of vertue it leades vs to Felicitie And when hee hath magnified his Philosophie to the highest Diuinitie chalengeth all the Goodnesse it hath as her seruant and addes more vnto it Now for the other two Epithites wherewith hee decketh Philosophie and whereof he robbeth Diuinitie Pleasantnesse and Power I haue fitted seuerall discourses for them yet withall respecting other faults But the Reader may set such pieces of them together as being inlayd in his memorie iointly with this may serue for an intire Confutation of these errours And that his memorie may not trauaile farre for the doing of it I heere immediatly adioyne them CHAP. III. A healing of their Griefe that are affrighted at Christianitie and runne away from it as from some terrible and vgly thing THere are some that thinke on Religion as vpon some fearfull Apparition and accordingly receiue the Image thereof into their Mindes in the likenesse of a sowre grim and austere visage And surely some Pharisies haue giuen a Confirmation hereunto But this is an especiall deceit and fraud of the Deuill to rob vs of the greatest ioy by a false feare of the greatest sadnesse Is there any more comfortable thing then the vnion of Man with his Souereigne Good Is there any thing more pleasant then light and true Christians haue in them the beames of the vppermost Light Is there any thing more rauishing then Beautie and these are delighted with the highest Beautie of the Creatour and with the lower Beauties of iust and holy men resembling the higher What delights Man more then to loue and to bee beloued and behold a Christian is the best louer and loued of the best Vertue was glorious in the eyes of the Heathen so that in regard of her they despised all labours and sufferings yea life it selfe Yet their Vertue was but of a bounded Nature as a standing Poole whose waters are by measure But the Vertues of Christianitie are continuall streames flowing from the eternall Fountaine of the Deitie and haue an vnlimited power of daily increasing I cannot I would not say all that the ioy of Christians can afford me I haue * Arté of Happâ—nesse elsewhere saued this labour Neither let men thinke but that these are matters of Fact and not of meere Speculation for the hearts of true Christians are at this day liuing Witnesses and the Sayings of the Dead cry aloud to confirme it Reade DAVID reioycing in his Psalmes and you will thinke him a man rauished so doth euery word swell with ioy prayse and exultation See him dancing before the Arke and if you bee no wiser then a very woman you will thinke him out of his wits but if you bee so wise as a good woman you will say his soule did magnifie the Lord and his Spirit reioyced in God his Sauiour Againe reade the Song of Dauid describing the extasies of loue and delight wherein the Church almost loseth her selfe as vnable to contayne them and you cannot but say that there is a ioy entered into the heart of man which cannot get it selfe wholy into it by comprehension nor get out of it by expression All the Instruments of Musicke all the Creatures both sensible and insensible are summoned together to helpe forth the vtterance of an vnvtterable ioy And how can you blame him for his soule is in the Courts of Heauen Where to be a doore-keeper for one day is better then to bee a thousand yeares in the Courts of Princes and yet most men thinke that Courtiers haue great ioy of their places Againe Gods Words are sweeter to him then the hony and you know Sweetnesse is the God of the Epicure Yea it is more precious then fine Gold and Gold is the God of the Worldling Thus a Christians ioy surmounteth the ioyes of the Naturallist euen Honour Pleasure and Profit But if this bee true you will say how comes it that so few seeke heauenly and almost all seeke earthly ioyes and perchance thou which readest it art also of the same minde Hereunto I answere That the fault is in the Taste not in the Meate in the folly of the Iudgement not in the Pearle when a graine of Corne is preferred before it To taste spirituall ioyes a man must bee spirituall for the spirit rellisheth only the things of the spirit and like loueth his like Betweene a spirituall man and spirituall ioyes there is as mighty an appetite and enioying as betweene fleshly meate and a carnall stomack Therefore the want of this taste and apprehension condemneth the World to be carnall but magnifies the ioyes spirituall as being aboue a grosse and carnall apprehension Surely the face of this world at the first view shewes vs a plaine euidence of its vnacquaintaÌ„ce with these ioyes it is so willingly soyled with the sweat of worldly labours so defiled with wallowing in the mire of voluptuousnesse so wrinkled with the cares of this perishing life They still cry out who will shew vs any good but they would haue this good shewed them in their Corne and Wine and Oyle But on the otherside if men did fully taste the sweetnesse and rightly value the preciousnesse of heauenly ioyes the World would run so fast from the World and presse so violently into the Kingdome of God that wee should extremely neede Sermons to perswade to the labours of the six dayes whereas now all Exhortations are too little toward the sanctâ—fying of the Seuenth And indeed the Primitiue times gaue examples hereof when there was plaine need of dehortation to keepe men from too much haste toward Persecution and too much flying from the World If thou therefore be as they were thou shalt bee readie to doe as they did Doe not as Fooles do who because they cannot taste the ioyes of a Christian therefore leaue to be Christians But euen because thou canst not tast them be thou more vehemently desirous to bee a Christian that thou mayest taste them For by being a Christian thou shalt taste the ioyes of a Christian whereas else thou losest thy selfe and them and sinkest downe to the base degree of a grosse and transitory creature and so of base and transitorie ioyes yea below them againe into a bottomlesse pit of endlesse darknesse But rather striue thou by earnest Prayer to the Father of Spirits to make thee spirituall that so spirituall things may be pleasing to thee and thou pleasing to him who is the chiefe of Spirits for Conformitie and Harmonie is the Law of Pleasure and Delight Therefore also on the otherside tread downe thy flesh and the taste thereof whose exaltation is the abatement of spirituall Life Taste and Feeling and whose abatement is the exaltation of spirituall fauour and discerning Another Obiection is framed by the World that Religion cannot bee pleasant because none speak more against Mirth and good Fellowship then these forward Christians and great Religionaries To this I answere That men truely wise and holy doe not preach against Mirth
discourseth of Superstition hee strongly consutes the practicall religion of the Church of Rome and so seemes to differ from them though hee after creepe againe into their good-will vnder the couert of commanding an obseruation of Ceremonies Customes and Ordinances Secondly I haue heard it constantly affirmed in France by a Gascoigne Montagnes country-man and one that was himselfe an Author that his Doctor was a great acquaintance of Montagne and that his booke was Montagnes pieces brought into a Methode And sure I cannot much blame the Doctor for not doing an impossibilitie for it is a matter neere impossible handsomly to inlay all the â—agged pieces of Montagne â—nd to reduce his infinite wandrings into the order of a steadie path for hee seemed altogether to runne after his owne wit and to take vp whatsoeuer it did let fall but the wit â—t selfe did seldome runne after any Marke nor walke by any Rule And so might his Follower by the intricatenesse of the labour well forget the different colours of some of the pieces which hee ioyned into one Bodie And if we consider but this Chapter of Piety we may find many contradictions in it He maketh the Religion of Palestine which is the Religion of the Iewes to teach this belief that the cutting and punishing of our selues the massacring of beasts is a most precious present vnto God as if God tooke pleasure in the torment of his Creatures And yet after out of the one and fiftieth Psalme he sayth That the most acceptable Sacrifice vnto God is a pure free and humble heart And againe out of the fiftieth Psalme Non accipiam de domo tua vitulos Besides hee sayth the Iudaicall Religion retayneth many things of the a â—oseâ—â—us in his first book against Apion writes that the Egyptians and the Iewes could not agree because of the diuersitie of their Religion And Plessis in his 21. chapt of Christian Religion shewes that the Oracles of Aâ—oâ—o and the â—ibilles prefâ—rred the Iewâ—s as the best worshippers of God Egyptian Gentile which is a great blasphemie eyther in this sence That the Iewish Religion had any thing in it not deliuered by God himselfe or that God tooke his copie out of some of that Gentile-Egyptian Religion thereout to make vp a Religion for the Iewes And herein is also an implyed contradiction For hee that commendes the Christian Religion and condemnes the Iewes Religion as parcell heathen contradicts himselfe for the Iewes Religion established by God and the Christians are all one in substance of Faith and if they differ in the manner I hope that manner was not borrowed of the Heathen but the Heathen rather counterfeite the Iewes Againe hee speaketh of Religion as of some Arte or Confection saying That Religion is so fitted that it may be respected and had in admiration yet hee sayth It is composed of parts some base whereat high Spirits doe scorne and some high and mysticall whereat low Spirits are offended So politickely is Religion framed to intrap all men that it is fashioned to offend all men But yet there remains an obiection of the Heathen Martialists who may tell vs now as heretofore That Rome being Hethen raised an Empire and being Christian lost it To this I answere that it was not Romes Hethenisme that won it nor her Christianitie that lost it but rather it might bee sayd that Christianitie won it and want of Christianitie lost it There were three Empires before this and they being all Heathen arose and Heathen fell and why should wee not thinke that this would also fal if it had still beene Heathen It hath long bin obserued that Kingdomes and Empires haue * Ier. 27.7 Ages and Periods aswell as priuate men And when an Empire shall rise there comes a spirit of Valour on Armies and of Heroicall Vertue on Chieftaynes which the Empire being ripe departeth away and then are they like Samson when his Lockes are shauen and Samson is said then to bee like another man And that Christianity raysed the Empire it may be iustified in diuers senses The first is That God raised this Empire by the vniuersality thereof to spread his vniuersall and Catholike Truth The hedges and partitions of the World were broken downe that Christian Religion might haue a free walke throughout the whole World Againe this huge Kingdome was raysed iust to meet with Christs Kingdome that by the hugenesse of the opposition the greatnesse of the victorie might bee magnified The spirit of Antichrist was mounted on this Beast and fought then in the Emperors and now fights in the Popes against Christ his Church but the Dragon or the Beast or the false Prophet may not preuayle â—or the Kingdome is the Lord Christs and his is glory and honour and dominion for euermore This resisting and aduersarious Empire while it fought against Christ it serued Christ while it killed his Church it increased his Church and while it fought against Religion it became a meanes to spread and inlarge it And that it was rather Heathenisme then Christianity that lost the Empire may appeare by the Stories of the Degeneration both of the Church and of the Emperours Pride Couetousnesse contempt of Religion deseruing the remouall of the Candlesticke which long afore was threatned to the Church of Ephesus and in them to any other like parts of the whole Church The time and worke of the Empire was expired it had fought against Christ and was ouercome by it and now the sinnes and corruptions ioyntly requiring it he that hindred was to bee taken away euen the Emperour and the man of Sin was to step in his place by whom Antichrists second part was to be acted And against him also doth the Kingdome of Christ preuayle though fighting against Christ by the old weapons of the Heathen Empire euen fire and sword And now small States and Kingdomes are animated strengthened by the hand of Omnipotence so that they stand the shock of his greatest fury yea they gaine and grow vpon him A little bordering Country that is but a piece of a former state and the most despicable piece of it standing in water and therefore participating left of the actiuity of fire yet â—ow by the disposition of the Almightie partakes of the wisdome and power of a fierie Spirit and hath often consumed both the aduerse policies and forces preseruing mightily yea in larging that Religion which should haue beene taken from it by the cruell talents of the Inquisition Wherfore be wise O ye Kings and be instructed O yee Iudges of the Earth Kisse the Sonne and resist him not lest he be angrie and ye perish in the mid-way Make not your Hoasts and Nauies the vaine Bulwarkes of declining Antichrist neyther wrap your selues in the ruines of him that is appointed to fall When Christ will ouercome an Hoast is contemptible before him and the greatnesse of your opposition can only magnifie his Victory and your owne ruine And bee
Holinesse Mat. 5.16 Fourthly let men know renounce as an extreme folly that temporall Thrift which causeth an eternall losse Surely if that Lord who is Wisedome it selfe commended the Steward for a Wiseman that abated his temporall Reckonings to increase his eternall Rewards hee cannot but disprayse for a Foole that man that wil increase a little perishing vanity that hee may decrease an exceeding weight of eternall glory Whereas a hundred abated heere would increase a thousand hereafter this man by a most foolish thrift will saue fifty here that hee may lose fiue hundred hereafter Ill Husbands they are in the midst of their good husbandry and the Husbandmen of this generation shall rise in iudgment against them for these will not sow sparingly that they may reape sparingly but with a full hand do sow that with a full hand they may mow Let vs therefore pray the Lord of the Haruest he that as he increseth our seed will also increase our sowing that as he outwardly ladeth vs with the bounty of his blessings he will inwardly fill vs with the bountie that giueth these blessings that partaking of his good things wee may also partake of the goodnesse that bestoweth them Then by the same goodnesse which gaue vnto vs shall we giue vnto others the goodnes of God supplying vs both within and without inwardly giuing vs the power of giuing and outwardly giuing vs the matter of giuing And to these men that are filled with this goodnesse the Mother of good Workes is especially recommended that saying of S. Paul Hee that prouides not for his owne is worse then an Infidell To such I say it belongs who are likely to stray too farre on the right hand of Bounty and not to such who most commonly abuse it for the defence of their left-handed Parsimonie This place is to limit those that are excessiuely good not to stop and bound those that are not yet good enough Wherefore goe on boldly a good way farther for there is yet a good distance betweene this place and thee except thou art in doubt of being too good There is yet a third sort which I would only name and I wish that there might be no Examples of such hereafter knowne in Gath nor spoken of in Ashdâ—d and that is when they that beare the true marke of God in their foreheads and haue ript off the Badge of worldly loue from their harts yet in some sleepe of their consciences the enemie soweth some Tares of worldly Lust Couetousnesse or Ambition Dauid sinned in one kind and no doubt men of perfect hearts sinne in other kindes and single Actions of sinne issue from them that haue an habite or rather a nature of Grace God hath left the Canaanite in vs to exercise vs to humble vs that wee may haue an Enemy to fight against before we weare the Crownes of Glory and that we may haue a patterne of our corruption to humble vs as the Valleyes before we receiue his showres of Grace and Mercy from those hils from whence commeth our Saluation What remaynes but that we fight like men for the killing of that old man which fighteth to kill vs While we stand let vs stand in humility taking heed lest wee fall and this humilitie which makes vs take heed lest wee fall will best keepe vs from that falling whereof wee are to take heed And if wee doe fall as what man lineth that sinneth not let vs rise by giuing our hand to Christ in Faith and Repentance who by his bloud washing vs and by his Spirit quickning vs will raise vs againe set vs on our feet That we may run the way of his CoÌ„mandements Neyther let the wicked in the fals of the Godly magnifie themselues and despise the other as such Pharisies vse to do for though these two did the same kinde of fact yet the fact is different The godly man fals by infirmitie as by the weight of his body or slip of his foote the wicked fals with the swinge of his will as if hee ran his head against the Rockes The godly man hates his owne fault and ariseth from it the wicked man neuer truly hates it neuer heartily forsakes it Yea the godly man is bettred by his fals and by falling stands the more strongly because the more humbly and warily And finally though hee passe by some particular frailties yet vpon the whole he is still better and growes from strength to strength vntill he appeares before God in Sion CHAP. XI An Errour that forbids men though mortally diseased to be cured by a sicke Physician THere is an Errour which though it possesseth not many yet some it possesseth strongly and this is a great mischiefe belonging to it that they thinke themselues better then others for being deceiued and so they become angry with those that would cure them because they seeme to indeauour not to take away an Errour from them but to depriue them of their Eminence Their misbeliefe is this That none but sanctified Preachers can teach vnto Sanctification and Saluation And first for a generall remedie I desire these men to consider that as in naturall so in spirituall fiâ—e there are two things of especiall and inseparable vse the one is Light the other Heate Let the heate of Nature make a mans body neuer so actiue and able yet if the eyes be shut vp so that this heate by the inward light which it makes cannot entertayne the outward light the more actiue and stirring this man is the more hee stumbles and the more hee fals Euen so in the things of Grace if a man will separate heate from light hee diuorceth those â—hat in the spirit are ioyned together and therefore it is likely that such are Saint Iudes men separaters sensuall not hauing the spirit For where the spirit is there light is the guide of heate and such are led by euident Truth not by blind violence But to meete with their Errour more particularly I will first lay my foundation and it is this An assured discouery of the true cause of mans Saluation Not to runne into by-wayes the true way to life is Christ The Way the Truth and the Life Christ our life shall appeare saith Paul and againe Our life is hid with Christ in God More particularly Christ entring into man doth abolish the olde man which is the bodie of Sinne Death and giues vs the new man wherein is included a right of Inheritance vnto Life Eternall The bodie of sinne by sinne had bound vs vnto death and by Dominon had bound vs to sinne but Christ Iesus entring into vs by his Spirit by his Death freeth vs from the Death to which we were bound and by his sanctifying Grace freeth vs from that Dominion by which wee were bound vnto sinne So from henceforth neyther sinne nor death haue dominion ouer vs but the free and freeing Spirit of Christ dwels in vs whereby we are sonnes and heires of Life Eternall Rom.
8.14 c. I will summe all vp in the words of Saint Peter 1.1.1 We are elect by God the Father through the sanctification of the Spirit and the sprinkling of the bloud of Iesus Christ. But this thou wilt say thou doubtest not but confessest that the Trinitie by Christs humanity saueth vs but thou sayst that this Saluation is imparted to vs by the Ministery and the defect of the Preacher may stop the benefit of the hearer I confesse indeed if his defect be in preaching then there is an abatement of the benefit of hearing but if his preaching be sound and sufficient Gods Word soundly vttered by him is able to saue vs without the Preachers Goodnesse or Sanctification The Preacher is Vehiculum verbi verbum is vehiculum Christi Christus est fons vitae The Preacher brings the Word and the Word brings Christ and Christ brings Saluation If now the heart of man doe but open that the King of Glorie may enter in saluation is come into his house And surely if the spirit within open when the Word without knockes or Christ in the Word there is an entrance of Life eternall So is it brought to this narrow poynt That when the Spirit meets the Word in the heart and opens to it Christ enters in the Word and there is but this left to say That the Spirit hath so tyed himselfe to the goodnesse of the Minister that he will not open the heart of the hearer except he heare a holy Teacher But this is a fearfull saying and worthie of detestation This is to tye the free Spirit of God vnto Man whose libertie Christ hath taught saying The Spirit bloweth where it listeth This were to make the Spirit to stand in need of his owne graces and to bee beholding to the grace of the speaker to giue grace to the hearer This were to bring Christians not to receiue their saluation from the fulnesse of Christ but partly from the fulnesse of the Minister Then it might be truly sayd that Paul were something and Apollo something whereas St Paul sayth they were nothing but God onely that gaue the increase Then might we be baptized into the name of Paul for from whom wee receiue the grace of Baptisme in his Name may wee receiue Baptisme This were to ouerthrow St Pauls Assertion and to breake his golden chayne in pieces who sayth that Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by preaching for by this noueltie hearing doth not saue vs except the Preacher bee also saued so where Paul tyeth Faith to hearing these haue vntyed Faith from hearing except the Preachers goodnesse tye it vp againe But what did our Sauiour Christ meane to cause his Disciples to heare the Scribes and Pharises in Moses chayre whom he termed Hypocrites and on whom he heaped his woes Either Christ commanded them to doe that which was vnprofitable or these men vainly condemne that which Christ commanded And Paul reioyceth that Christ was preched by enuious and persecuting Preachers and I hope persecutors are not likely to be sanctified Surely it is the beauty of Christ Iesus that rauisheth a soule touched and warmed by the Spirit It is not essentiall to the moouing of Loue that the Painter himselfe be handsome so his picture bee euident and liuely and the comlinesse of the person represented admirable If the Painter be vnlike his owne picture the beauty of the picture disgraceth his vglinesse but remaynes louely it selfe Who is there that if he were condemned to death as wee are all naturally to death eternall but would gladly receiue a pardon from the king by the hands of a condemned man Surely the eye of a man touched by the Spirit doth looke more stedily on the happinesse of the message then the miserie of the Messenger For God sends sometimes a message of happinesse by a Messenger that is miserable as hee sent blessings to Israel by the mouth of cursed Balaam This is true though it bee obiected that vnsanctified men are not called and not being called are not sent For Iudas a worse then Balaam had the calling of an Apostle was ordayned to preach and to cast out deuils Mark 3.14 and obtayned part of the Ministerie Act. 1.17 God giueth not his gifts in vaine but they are for the edification of the Church So is the gift of Prophecie 1. Cor. 14.4 Eph. 4.12 yet many that haue this gift of edification shall be commanded to a So it seemes the promise of shining like the stars for conuersion of soules Dan. 12.3 hath an implicite condition of godlinesse which hath the promises of this life and that to come 1. Tim 4.8 depart for want of Sanctification Though they loose the priuate benefit of the gift of God yet God will not loose the fruit of his owne gift which hee gaue for the publike Wherfore let not the Preacher looke into the soule of his Hearer to find his saluation in his Hearers conuersion for hee shall not find it there but in his owne Soule if there he find Sanctification Neither let the Hearer looke into the soule of the Preacher in his Sanctification to finde his owne Saluation for hee shall not find it there but in his owne Soule if therein he can find Faith and Holinesse Surely the dayes of persecution had not this wantonnesse of Hearing but they reioyced as the Spouse in the Canticles by any meanes to heare newes of him whom their Soule loued But whereto doth all this tend To giue encouragement to a wicked Ministery God forbid I wish verily that all the gatherers of Saints were Saints and that those who expresse a scandalous b Tit. 1.7 S. Gregor de past cura lib. 1.2 Hooker lib. 5. see 81. contrariety to Sanctification were remoued if incorrigible For no doubt though such may quicken some by their doctrine yet they kill others by their example and a man-killer is not fit to be a Minister whose very Trade is Saluation Besides though a Ministers goodnesse giue not the esse of Saluation yet no doubt it giues the melius esse For a Minister that liues well is a double Preacher hee preacheth both by words and workes so he preacheth with a witnesse and his life is a witnessing or Martyrdome of his doctrine But the good Preacher and euill Liuer is but a single Preacher yea he labors by his Life to confute his Doctrine Now where the Spirit speaketh twice by Illumination and Sanctification he is more heard then where he speaketh but once Surely the liues of Saints and especially of Ministers are the liuely bookes of the Ignorant and in them should they reade the Characters of Vertue and Holinesse But my purpose is this First that God alone may haue the glory of our Saluation and that with the Virgin our spirits may reioyce in God our Sauiour It is the singer of the Spirit issuing from Christ Iesus that giues life to the Letter and brings the aduantage of the New Couenant
aboue the Old by writing Gods Word in our hearts which the old Law could not performe Secondly I desire that the Ministers would turne away the eyes of the people from their goodnesse as the cause of their Saluation saying with the Apostles Why gaze ye on vs as if we by our owne power or vertu had made you whole The God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob hath glorified his Sonne Christ Iesus and his power not our goodnes doth giue this perfect soundnesse Thirdly I desire that Hearers would not refuse Christ Iesus liuely offered and described vnto them though they know not the holinesse of the Preacher Let not any turne the Church into a Iudgement seat and censure their Ministers Life while they should heare his Doctrine This is to bee Iudges and not Hearers I wonder what such Hearers would doe if they had beene in Israel when Salomon preached after his many scandalous sinnes which made his Sanctification doubtfull to many But let the same Salomon aduise thee Bee not rash with thy mouth but bee more neere to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fooles Say with Samuel Speake Lord for thy seruant heareth and not Heare Lord for thy seruant speaketh and what speakes hee damnation of the Preacher Let vs rather looke on our own miseries and defects then on the Ministers and then we shall haue more mind to seeke our own cure from the Word then to examine whether hee bee sicke that would cure vs. Let vs not doubt but if the seed be good and the ground bee good it will bring forth much fruit whatsoeuer becom of the Sower CHAP. XII Spirituall Wickednesse in high places and the Remedie of it IT hath beene a great cause of the miserie of the Church in generall and of the members of the same Church in particular that spirituall exaltations haue begotten carnall gloriations and that the Flesh hath lifted it selfe vp by the increases of the Spirit as the Froth mounts by the flowing of the Water And how can it chuse but draw Misery when it procures an Almightie Wrath which Wrath is attended with an equall Vengeance And if any would doubt how it should procure so terrible a Wrath let him but behold the mis-shapen vglinesse and absurd inconsequence of this Sinne and it cannot but anger his eyes and much more the pure eyes of a most holy God who cannot abide to sowe good seed and to reape Tares to plant the noblest Vines and to gather the sowrest grapes But first let vs consider this sin how it growes and then how vgly it is when it is growne This Sin comes to his growth thus When God out of the riches of his Grace powreth on man the gifts of his Spirit by which he riseth vnto a spirituall excellence and perchance thereby to some outward dignitie then the Flesh mounts vp straight to mannage and enioy the fruits and issues of the Spirit So what hath beene gotten by the Spirit hath beene eaten and digested by the Flesh and so Grace haue beene brought to nourish her whom she should chiefly haue slayne This is the infirmitie of wretched Mankind Sinne is so fast wouen into our Flesh and among sinnes especially Pride that the Flesh most vnsensibly will bee proud when her Foe the Spirit prospers though indeed the prosperitie of the Spirit by the kindly operation of it should bee the destruction of the flesh Occidat modo imperet sayth the Flesh I will aduenture my life so there may bee that excellence by which I may aduance my Pride And as this is strong in the Roote so it hath beene generall in the Fruit it hath spred his effects from the Cedar of Lebanon to the Hisfop on the wal frō him that ascends aboue the clouds and will be like vnto the most High to the lowly shrub that growes in the humble Vale. For this very Sinne hath puft vp the Man of sinne vnto his monstrous hugenesse that he is growne to hee the king of the children of Pride and this infirmitie indangered the most humble St Paul who gloried in distresses so that hee had need of buffetting In the one the Hornes of the Lambe defend and maintaine the mouth of the Dragon and in the other the transcendence and abundance of Reuelations which were aboue the vtterance of Man might haue lifted vp his conceit to haue thought himselfe to bee more then a man And as I can hardly thinke any prouder then the king of Pride so I can scarse thinke any humbler then St Paul and therefore I thinke all men haue a degree of this Corruption and that more or lesse as they approch i◠likenesse to the pride of the man of sin or as they com neer to the humilitie of blessed St Paul And let not men altogether look vpward or outward to find this sinne either aboue or without them but let them looke into themselues and they may find as much Geometricall Pride in themselues as they doe Arithmeticall Pride in others as much Pride proportionably to their Low places and Graces as others haue to their Higher gifts and Dignities Yea it was not true only in the Time of Diogenes but it is true now also That sometimes a greater Pride below goes about to pull downe a lesser Pride aboue Yet I must needs confesse that a little Pride aboue is in this more offensiue because more conspicuous and there an example of Pride doth most harme where a patterne of Humility would haue done most good But now let vs goe aside to behold the vglinesse of it and perchance the very sight of it may serue for a Remedie What is more monstrous then that which is most vnreasonable and what is more vnreasonable then on Christ to build Antichrist on the Spirit to graffe the Flesh and vpon Grace to mount the corruption of Nature What agreement hath a carnall tumour with Spirituall excellence what interest hath Corruption in Sanctity the Old Man in the New Wherefore let the house of Israel bee the Flesh and the house of Dauid the Spirit and then Israel may truly say What portion haue wee in DAVID and what inheritance in the Sonne of ISHAI Neyther let any thinke that the height of the Flesh can be any grace or preseruatiue to the eminences and dignities of the Spirit For Pride cannot procure safety or prosperity since it drawes the resistance of God and the hatred of men But there is a Spirituall vigour and authoritie which agrees both with humilitie and eminence and this keepes men in a true state of minde free from that Pride which makes a man the enemie of God and free from that basenesse which makes a man the scorne of men For wee may not thinke of an humilitie which is opposite to the dignitie of the Spirit yee true Nobilitie of the Soule nor to dispensatiue vigor for vertues are not contrary but on that which is contrarie to a carnall Tumour a needlesse swelling a weed of the Flesh. And
by the rule of riches the latter which is stark naught must bee the better man and if it bee so Loue if thou canst this admirable excellence superiority which sets thee vp higher in place by being worser in wickednesse Wouldest thou be this better man if thou mightst or rather wilt thou not rather scorne this so much valued place which is to bee gotten by excelling in wickednesse Surely a most pittifull eminence which is bought by the deprauation of a mans chiefest excellence the Image of God A lamentable dignity where the price of the soule must pay for the preferment of the body and thou must inwardly be most vgly that thou mayst outwardly bee glorious It were farre better for thee to bee the better man that thou mayst bee the worse then to bee the worse man that thou mayst bee the better But to giue thee comfort against this confusion I will tell thee Fourthly That this confused order shall bee righted by an order without confusion The day draweth neer wherein euery man shall bee seated in his right place euen according to true reall and inward excellence That as I told thee is the Image of God wherein whosoeuer now shines aboue the rest by grace shall hereafter shine aboue the rest in the eminence of Glory Therefore lift vp thy heart from earthly dignity vnto heauenly honour and set thy heart on that which shall bee thine by true iudgement by due administration and in an eternall fruition Thy worth shall bee truly valued and accordingly thy glory shall duly bee giuen thee and this glory shall bee giuen thee in a Kingdome which hath no end And then shalt thou see those glorious slaues whom vice heere preferred tumbled downe into a bottomlesse Pit and as farre below thee as hell is below Heauen Then shall it be no griefe of heart to thee that here thou wert misplaced by mistaking but thou shalt rather grieue for them that they were preferred by wickednesse vnto eternall misery It only remaynes that some of that thought that then shall fully possesse thee partly bee taken vp before hand that so thy future superiority may make thee fully pleased with thy present lownesse and the preferment of others by sinne may mooue in thee no other passion but pitty We see the sonne of a great Man can indure to be below in the Schoole because hee knowes he shall be high in the Countrey and quietly suffers those to take place of him of whome hee knowes by him place shal be taken We walke by faith and not by sight by the sight of the soule and not of the body and the soule seeing that heauenly exaltation let not bodily sight depresse vs but let that glorious eminence which wee see by faith erect and cheere vs. And now because by that vniuersall variety of euents all things comming alike to all or otherwise by diuine fauour immediate blessing wealth and honour comes sometimes to grace and goodnesse I thought it not vnfit to adde some cautions how the great good man should make vse of superiority First the loue of Pride which hath with it a swelling conceit of himselfe and a lesning contempt of others must be farre from being the cause of his being first but he must take it for orders sake which commonly brings two Companions Comelinesse and Quietnesse Secondly if there bee any doubt of the right of priority let him rather incline to the humble side then the proud and rather seeke to goe before in Humility then in place which is indeed Saint Pauls * Ro. 10.12 going before in going behind Thirdly let Charity accompany Humility which sometimes will giue prioritie for loue for some such there are whom you may winne by this Rattle and make them friends of enemies as children are pleased with Apples It is a bad Neighbour that is not worth more then his place though indeed he be not very good that will breake friendship for loue of the place But loue sometimes seeketh not her owne especially where loue must bee lost by seeking her owne for loue aboue all things seeketh loue Fourthly in the difference of place remember the Community of Nature yea perchance the priority of Grace so shalt thou not bee lifted vp in thy heart as thou art in thy place aboue men of thine owne dignity by Creation perchance better then thy selfe by the eminent Graces of Sanctification And where greater Graces sit below thee Let thy loue and courtesie acknowledge their inward dignity as their inferiority doth acknowledge thy outward eminence For as I told thee their excellence is the chiefest excellence and it is farre from Iustice that he should respect thy outward worth which is the meaner and thou shouldest not acknowledge his inward worth which is the better But let each haue his due thou the honour of outward eminence and he the honour and respect due vnto inward excellence CHAP. XVI Anti-Circe A potion that turnes Beasts into Men being before turned from Men into aBests MAny are the sores that afflict the minde of corrupt and miserable Man But of these many there are diuers that bee contented with the hurt of one single part or faculty of the soule as a Mote in the Eie and a Thorne in the Foot There is a single error in iudgement a particular straying of the will and a measured disordinatenesse of the Affections In which cases the amending of that one part where the griefe lyes is sufficient But there is a kinde of Men for such they were once that will not bee contented with such small sores but they will needes turne their minde into one whole sore Facies dicatur an vlcus you shall not distinguish the face of their once-reasonable soules from that of the brutish and still vnreasonable soules of Beasts They cast so much moysture on the Lampe of their vnderstanding so much mudde vpon their wils that the light of their vnderstanding is put out and the fethers of a diuine and celestiall will are vnable to mount and so the soule in her faculties is slaine and there remaynes nothing but the huskes and shels of Men for the Men themselues are turned out of doores To such mending will not serue the turne for they are dead They must goe beyond mending and had need to goe to new making For where the principia be not only laesa but as it were coesa an almost indelible Character of darknesse and sensuality being stamped on the soule how shall the soule be new lighted but by the first inlightner and how shall she of sensuall bee made spirituall but by a new-begetting of the Father of Spirits This masse of moysture is like the first Chaos voyde and without forme and darknesse is vpon the face of it What remedie remaynes but that now as then the spirit moue vpon the waters euen vpon this informed lumpe of Humidity There needs another fiat euen a voyce from Heauen Awake thou that sleepest and arise from
Vice flyes maynly at the face of this Image and seekes to scratch it out of the soule and so to leaue man as base and dishonorable as the Beasts whome man despiseth most So is this excesse a notable kinde of murder for it kils that which is indeed the man euen Reason and Vnderstanding And as it is thus contrary to the Creation by defacing that Image of God which the Creation planted in vs so it is also contrary to Regeneration and the recouery of that decayed Image So is it a murder of the second Adam in vs as well as of the first euen a murdeâ— of life eternall The new man saith Paul is created in knowledge and true holinesse but drunkennes it is a foule word and an honest eare is troubled with the sound of it quencheth the shining Lampe of knowledge and the spirituall fire of holinesse and leaues the soule of man as den of darkenesse and vncleannesse It thrusts a finger into the very eye of the soule euen the vnderstanding and puts it out and it leaues such a drosse and muddinesse on the will that it growes base and downward the fiery mountings of the spirit being quenched by the fogs and cloudes of moysture Namque affigit hums diuinae particulam Aurae Such lamentable effects of excesse you shal ordinarily see in these thirsty men or men-fishes for their life is only in liquido they haue commonly rebated and dull vnderstandings and base grosse and muddy affections They loue base company base places and base courses But if it be not yet odious enough behold the Monster it selfe as you go in the streets for you can hardly misse him and that will best affright you A certaine thing it is that perchance was lately a man but now hath nor soul nor body That little mouth of his hath swallowed downe his whole selfe he is intombed in his owne bowels and that which is buried in him is his Sepulchre Hee is now only Belly Foolishnesse and Sicknesse his panch hath buried the Wine and in the Wine is his wit buried his soule his hands his feet and perchance his last wealth Thete can be nothing sayd of him now but that hee is a meere Caske the shell of wine yet worse then that a Caske that marres the Wine and it selfe is marred by it You may strike him if yee will he feeles it not for he is dead as well as buried and whosoeuer would speake with him he must stay till hee come home for the drinke hath turned him out of doores But to what end doe I cast away my words If I speake to such a one I speake to the dead and how can hee heare And if I speake to the liuing He is not such and hee hath no need of my speaking Surely I will here take vp the saying of Salomon of the other generall death That it is good to see the house of death because the liuing shall lay it to his heart So though I haue small hope of the dead in excesse A Lazarus of that kinde being very seldome raysed vnto life yet let the liuing behold this house of death and hee may lay it to his heart Let those that stand by the falne take heed least they fall Let the vglinesse which they see abhorre in others make them striue not to bee that which they doe abhorre Beware of Wine because it tempts to excesse and therefore handle it with feare I speake now chiefly to them that excuse themselues by being ouertaken because it hath a sting in it But especially beware of excesse for without this sting the wine will hurt thee Be an equall Iudge betweene thy taste and thy whole selfe euen thy body thy soule yea Grace the soule of thy soule Bee not partiall to thy base sensuality but rather â—â— thy selfe and fauour those excellent things Gods Grace thy owne soule and bodie Abate that which would abatâ— thee and lose any thing rather then thy selfe A third dehortatiue is thâ— consideration of persons for the persons whom hee dehorteth are men and Christians and such of all other it worst becommeth A Swine oâ— a Heathen or a Heathens fellow a Swaâ—geret it becomes somewhat kindly But men of vnderstanding seruants members of Christ Iesus it fits by no meanes yea it is a miserable incongruity A man that hath some remnant of Gods Imaâ—e yea which is more that hath Gods Image renued in him yea is bought and brought to the wearing of this Image by the preciouâ— bloud of the Sonne of God that such a one should defile and deface Gods Image in himselfe this is a great absurditie Therefore hee coniureth them by their Manhood and by their Christanity that they would not put on this wilfull madnes by which both Manhood and Christianitie may be lost Christ hath dyed for thee doe not spoyle him with thy drinke for whom Christ dyed Doe not thou defile with thy Wine that which Christ hath washed with his bloud and where Christ indured so great a paine as accompanyed the shedding of his bloud and nayling on the Crosse for thy saluation doe not thou shed thy Wine vpon thy selfe to procure thy owne damnation Surely thou preferrest Wine before the bloud of Christ and before the Spirit of Christ. Thou art not a Christian but a Gadaren or rather the Hogge of the Gadarens now in carrying by the Deuill into the Deepe if thou preferre a Swinish pleasure before the most precious bloud of the Sauiour of the World Therefore behold thy dignity and that may suffice thee Thou art elect according to the fore-knowledge of God by the sprinkling of the bloud of Christ and the sanctification of the Spirit and is there a greater excellencie then this to bee a sonne of God so freely elected so preciously redeemed so diuinely sanctified And now put this filthinesse by the side of it a lothsome and odious comparison I confesse but profitable by the lothsomenesse and can any man indure to loose the Trinity that hee may gaine Sensuality to leaue to be a Saint that hee may be a Beast to lose Heauen that he may gaine Hell Me thinkes a man had neede bee drunke before-hand in this case to make a choice of Drunkennesse And now Paul passeth from the Vice to the Remedie An admirable fit and soueraigne Remedie as which helpeth it three wayes First by a contrariety for cures are most commonly by contraries and as excessiue wine hath bin shewed to be contrary to the spirit so is the spirit to it Secondly by a conformitie with it but excelling it and so the eminence of it calleth vs away from that which is meaner to that which is more precious as the offer of gold calls vs from siluer or brasse Thirdly by a priuiledge wherein it differs from it as not hauing the danger of wine which is excesse for there is no excesse in the spirit but excesse is a vertue in it and the greater measure the more commâ—ndation Now
that thou mayst be glad to bâ—e cured of this Vice by the contrariety of the Spirit see wherein the contrariety consists The surfet of wine makes darknesse in thy Vnderstanding and the Spirit light It makes brutish sensuality strong and heauy vpon the Will and affections and the Spirit exalts and purifies the Will by a cleane and celestiall grace Now if I leaue it to thy choyce whether thou wilt come out of Darknesse into Light from a seruile sensuality a true equality with Beasts into the glorious liberty of holy cleane and heauenly Minds I know thou wilt tell mee that there is no doubt in this choyce but that Light is farre better then Darknesse and a heauenly Mind is farre better then a sensuall Then doe but beleeue what thou sayest and doe what thou beleeuest and thou art cured Preferre in thy workes as well as thy words the light of the Deity shining on thy Soule before the darknesse of excesse sent vp from the grosse vapors of Moysture Bee thou farre more glad to haue thoughts of Purity thoughts of Felicity thoughts of Eternity then the beastly imaginations of filthy Lusts inflamed in thy Soule by the Lake of Brimstone that lies in thy Bowels Let neither the colour nor the tast of Wine be thought a fit counterpoyse to those excellencies of the Spirit but when Wine would tempt thee by them call him Mocker and tell him that pleasure is but a pretence but darknesse sensuality and eternall death is the drift of it Tell it thou hast a Light in thee more precious then the light of the Sunne the Father of Wine yea more excellent then any Creature and thou wilt not change this excellent light into darknesse for so small a price as a sight and a tast Say thou hast a quickening and purifying flame of heauenly Fire sent downe into thy heart and thou wilt not quench it for the World by the inundation of a brutifying Moysture And hauing chased away this tempting Ammonite that will not make peace with thee but by pulling out thy best eye retire into the Light and Vertue of the Spirit inflame it blowe it kindle it by Meditation by Prayer by Reading and the increase of this Light and Vertue wiâ— increase in thee loâ—hing of the Darknesse and Beastlinesse of excesse The Light of the Spirit and the graces therof will bee so highly precious in thy sight that thou wilt wonder that any man should goe downe from that Heauen of the Soule into the darke and miry Dungeons of a stupiâ—ied sightlesse filthy sensuall and sencelesse Mind Thou wilt admire that a man should wilfully put out so glorious a Lampe as the Light of the Spirit and that a man should quench that fire by which in some measure he is partaker of the Diuine Nature and all this to get into him the nature habite and condition of a Swine an Ape a Goat or a Lyon Wherefore take heed to the new Creature of God created in knowledge and holinesse which is farre more glorious then all the old Creatures Let that by all meanes bee preferred in its dignitie and supremacie let all Creatures serue it for so the Creator allowes but let it selfe bee brought in bondage to nothing Let it be kept bright and pure for the seruice and pleasure of the Creator who therefore beautified Man with a likenesse to his owne Heart that his heart might take pleasure in that likenesse And if the chiefe pleasure which God takes on Earth be this Beauty of Man then man himselfe should take his chiefest pleasure in prâ—â—eruing and adorning this Beauty Otherwise hee is an vngratefull Wretch not caâ—ing to gratifie the Creator with the pleasure of his owne Gifts and hee is an ignorant Foole for not taking a chiefe pleasure in that wherein the highest Wisdome is especially delighted But whosoeuer is the truly begotten sonne of that supreme Wisedome cannot but loue and cherish the Wisdome and Graces of the inner Man wherein stands the beautifull Image and likenesse of the most glorious Father And whosoeuer loueth and cherisheth it cannot but hate and abhominate that Excesse that casts blacknesse and filth on so bright rauishing and celestiall a Beauty Neyther doth here the Spirit of God bid vs to our losse but which is the second Remedie euen in those things wherein Wine is desirable the Spirit offers vs aduantage If the Wine bee pleasant to the eye the sights of the Spirit are farre more excellent for they are such as eye hath not seene The Spirit of God reueales sights vnvtterable and our soules anoynted with that eye-salue Looke into heauen and see him that is inuisible Glorious and delectable are the Contemplations of the Saints euen such that they grow rapt by the sights which they behold and are loth to come downe from that high Tabor of Vision into the low and base valley of outward and grosse conuersation The light of the body is the eye but the eye of Man is the Soule The Spirituall sight is mans most excellent Sight and Spirituall obiects are his most excellent obiects When we see outward things wee see but that which beasts may see with vs but when we see Spirituall things we see that which none but Men and Angels can see wherefore be thou filled with the Spirit wherby thou mayst see the true and kindly obiects of Men and Angels and dwell not in thy outward eies wherin Beasts may excell thee By thy inward sight thou shalt in some measure behold God thy chiefe Felicity the loue of God in Christ Iesus giuen for our Ransome the admirable Graces and Vertues of a holy and sanctifying Spirit In summe thou shalt see such diuine Sights that thou wilt not giue thy Contemplations for a Kingdome For at what price will a heauenly Soule sell his Meditations a Gregor in ps pâ—niâ— 4. Sion is by interpretation a Watch-towre and Sion is a type of the Church The Church of God stands on a Watch-towre and it sees more then seuen men on a Watch-towre and as her height is exalted on the towre of contemplation so her foundation is setled beneath on the Rocke of stability So as shee sees farre by her height shee is also stable by her foundation which amounts to this That Sion is a Watch-towre that cannot be remooued from her Contemplation Now if this heauenly Sight bee the most excellent Sight of Man dwell no longer in thy outward eies to behold eyther the colour spright or motion of Wine or of any earthly obiect But in the stedfast Watch-towre of diuine Contemplation behold sights worthy of a Creature indued with a heauenly Soule Scorne to dwell in an equality with Beasts when thou mayst come into a parity with Angels and if thou wilt needs looke on Wine Looke on the new Wine of the kingdome of Heauen which Christ now drinkes aboue and for which hee hath left the old hauing professed that hee will drinke no more of it But of this
his matter only striues to take away his sinne this Inferiour hath in nothing disgraced the Superiour for in the manner he hath giuen him respect and in the matter hee offers him Amendment So vpon the whole hee hath not disgraced but graced him in respectiue words and in profitable matter And surely a man so reproued may if he please be more honorable after reproofe then hee was before if by the reproofe he become better then he was before Naaman was an honourable man but a Leper and at first hee tooke exceptions to the Prophet because he came not out to him but sent him health in a manner that distasted him But if Naaman had continued in his anger he had continued a Leper whereas by hearkning vnto the Prophets direction hee returned honourable as hee was before and healthy which hee was not before Surely euery man though neuer so honourable hath a spirituall Leprosie and if a Prophet aduise him to wash and be clean by refusing it hee may continue an honourable Leper but by obeying it hee may haue spirituall health added to his temporall honour Wherefore let euery man doe that for the health of his soule which this mighty man did for the health of his body let him wash according to the words of the Prophet Christs businesse is to wash vs in this world that he may present vs spotlesse to his Father in another world As hee washeth vs chiefly by his owne Bloud Spirit so he washeth vs ministerially by his Word by his Sacraments by his Keyes for by these the Bloud and Spirit which wash vs are more neerly applyed and more fully communicated Therefore loue and embrace the outward meanes of thy inward puritie and take willingly not one but all the helpes that may beautifie thee Some thinke it too much to bee hearers of the Word of Christ and cry out that preaching indeed a foolishnesse to such but a foolishnesse that saues others hath turned the world vpside downe Act. 17.6 Another can indure preaching because hee can indure to sit at his ease while the preacher takes paines in vttering that for which before hee tooke paines in gathering but the Sacrament he will take but once in the yeere and not once except his Charitie fall out right with the time of the yeere A third will indure both Word and Sacrament and with Herod will doe some things gladly but if hee bee threatned with a binding in Heauen for vnlawfull Lust Iohn Baptists head must dance from his shoulders But ô thou man whosoeuer thou art that desirest to see the face of God giue leaue vnto God to sit thee for his presence by all his meanes of washing and clensing For there is nothing purer then our God of purest eyes and there is nothing fouler then a man of naturall corruption therefore thinke no washing too much to bring the most defiled thing on earth to the purest Essence in Heauen Beleeue that Christ knew the glory of God sufficiently for he came from it immediatly to vs and that he knew sufficiently the filthinesse of Man for hee came to wash it with his bloud and therefore let no man thinke that hee hath prescribed any thing too much to bring vs from so great a filthinesse to so infinite a Glory Wherefore let no man limite the Highest and tell him the Word and Sacraments might haue serued for his clensing but yeeld to his Wisedome which hath thought chastisement sometimes as necessary as food Therefore bee thou like Dauid and be not better then he who was both a Saint and a King and then shalt thou say with Dauid That Gods rod and his staffe doe comfort thee as well as that hee maketh thee to lye downe in greene pastures and leadeth thee by the still waters So to summe vp all Let the dispensers of Christs ordinances and his spirituall Stewards giue to all his seruants due meat in due season Let them take the Towell and the Basin wherewith once Christ washed and wiped his Disciples feet and at this day wash the feet euen the spots of his blessed spouse Hee hath told you that he did it to giue you an example if yee follow not his example you goe about to make his giuing of it in vaine Wash them with the Word for Christ hath testified Now are yee cleane by the Word Wash them with the Sacraments for the bloud of Christ and the Spirit of Christ the chiefe meanes of our Spirituall clensing are thereby communicated to vs. Wash them with the rod of censure and chastisement which purgeth out the euill by the blunesse of the wound and by the destruction of the Flesh saueth the Spirit in the Day of the Lord. 1. Cor. 5.5 And let the Flocke of Christ striue for the vtmost cleannesse and not for priuiledges of vncleannesse for as they are purified they shall bee glorified the more white wee are here in Grace the more bright wee shall bee in Glory And let euery man though outwardly great seeke to make himselfe as much within as hee is without and to that end let him incourage his spirituall father freely to tell him the sinnes that binde in Heauen that hee may bee freed from them whiles hee is here on Earth And let euery great one that meanes to bee saued account it an especiall benefit if he meet with a messenger of God Iob 33.23 which may by wholsome admonition take from him those sinnes which may loose or lessen his saluation For it is a certaine Trueth that as the more purity the more glory so the more spots the lesse glory and the greater damnation Now vnto him that hath loued vs Reuel 1. and washed vs from our sinnes in his own bloud and hath made vs Kings Priests vnto God his Father To him be glory and dominion for euer and euer CHAP. XIX The Discouery of some mayne Causes of Warres and Wounds in the Church and the meanes of their Cure THat the Church and Rebecca are alike and that the Wombe of both is lamentably peruerted into a place of wrestling griefe though vnwilling canâ—ot but confesse it because Contention is so violent that it will not suffer it to bee hidden Therefore a question as fitly ariseth from the Church as from Rebecca if it be so why am I thus Though she desired to be fruitfull yet shee loued not to bee a breeder of quarels and therefore preferred a quiet sterility before a coÌ„tentious fruitfulnesse And to this question of both there is fitted an Answer for the satisfaction of both There are two Nations in thy Wombe and two kind of people come from thy bowels one visible Church one woÌ„be and the same bowels yet two sorts of people and not two only in distinction but two in contrariety of disposition The difference of their inclinations makes a diuision in their affections and this diuision is inflamed into opposition and contention The man of flesh is Esau a strong Hunter of carnall
let the Obiector cease from this Language for here I haue brought him to the Damme of these Monsters This customary naturall vnnaturall Religion is the very Mother of them For Nature hauing receiued a Religion by custome this Religion like a Spirit possesseth it and driues it headlong like the Gadaren Swine into desperate actions Nature growes mad vpon a Religion knit by custome to her instinct and in her violence shee thinkes the Extremity of Deuotion to be the very Marke of Perfection Therfore shee goes furiously onward and ouerthrowes all that stands in her way thinking then shee pleaseth God best when she is most furious in his seruice and therefore sometimes she will do Massacres and Murders that shee may bee sure to haue serued him sufficiently So mad and brutish is this carnall Deuotion that it thinkes to please the Iudge of the World by those cruelties which a iust man doth lothe and detest And detestable as it is to good men so much more to true Religion which is the Doctrine of Goodnesse and hath beene before described to be peaceable and temperate Therefore farre bee it from any man to accuse true Religion of that which it selfe doth accuse But let this Brat bee brought to the true Dam of it and that shall be found to be the flesh but neuer the Spirit The Spirit maketh Sheepe and not Wolues 〈◊〉 hath armed many with Patience to suffer Tyranny but hath taught none to bee Tyrants Quem videris gaudentem sanguine Lupus est Whosoeuer delights in bloud for conscience sake is a Limbe of Antichrist the great Wolfe of of the Church the Flocke of Christ. But let vs hasten from this diseased Religion and seeke out a Remedy euen a Remedy for this Deuotion of Custome which Custome is an equall Nurse to all Religions A Nurse it is to all Religions a like Mother of most vnlike Children The vnity of the Mother cannot reconcile the Differences of the Children but like the Earth shee nourisheth all Herbes euen of contrary qualities But this while the Contention of these Children is most foolish for each striueth to be right heire when not one of them is lawfully begotten Therefore a first Remedy for these Bastard Religions is to know the Whoredome of their Mother and a second to know the true Father of true Religion The falshood of the Mother hath been already expressed but it must be known as well as told they must take notice of it as well as heare of it And let them take this for an assured signe of a Whorish Mother of Religion when they finde the same and no other Fountaine of Religion but that which will serue to beget a Religion contrary to that which is held If thou holdest thy Religion because thou art accustomed to it for carnall Reasons and by a common hand thou holdest not Religion truely yea though thou hold the true Religion But because Truth best reproueth Falshood and Rightnes Crookednesse I will set forth the true Father of true Religion that the Adulterous Mother may the better bee knowne and auoyded God is a Spirit and therefore the Religion that pleaseth God must be spirituall But man is carnall defiled by a carnall Generation and therefore can neyther know nor giue vnto God a spirituall Seruice Therefore is it needâ—ull that the supreme Spirit teach this carnall man a spirituall seruice which his Carnality cannot find out Yea farther it were 〈…〉 giue him a spirituall Vnderstanding to discerne and approue a spirituall Seruice being â—aught vnto him which flâ—sh and bloud cannot doe So wee see there is need of a spirituall Doctrine and a spirituall Mind Man hath nothing in him to please God withall Hee is all Darknesse and Pollution therefore God must send from Heauen thaâ— which hee will haue man to send acceptably vnto Heauen Man that is now most contrary to God must be conformed to him before hee can receiue from God and returne to God a Seruice conformable vnto God So it remaynes that true Religion must bee a spirituall Doctrine taught by God vnto Man and the true meanes of receiuing a spiritual Doctrine is a spiritual Mind This is the right hand of Religion and Nature is the left and these right-handed Men are the only true receiuers of true Religion For a spirituall Minde meeting with a spiritual Religion by Vniformity grow to an Vnity they kisse imbrace and claspe one another and the gates of Hell cannot plucke them asunder The Spirit that gaue the Word seasons the Heart and the Heart meeting the Word borne of the same Spirit with it selfe ioynes it selfe to it in a brotherly Affection and Vnity Now this only true admittance of true Religion hath notable Priuiledges annexed to it which are both markes of Excellence Difference aboue and from other false meanes of receiuing Religion One excellent and necessary Prerogatiue is this That the spirituall Man hath God for his Teacher hee learnes the counsels of God of that Spirit which only knoweth Gods Counsell and only acknowledgeth it Hee holdeth diuine things by a Diuine hand and receiues them from the Deity it selfe Though his outward Man receiue Elements and Rudiments of Religion by Birth or Education yet his inward man receiueth them by Heauenly inspiration the same Spirit which mooued holy men to speake moouing holy men to heare and beleeue For in the Saints the Spirit of God is the last resort rest and Pillar of Truth and how can they but beleeue when a spirituall Mind plainly discerneth the Truth of spirituall things It hath also a second priuiledge of safetie and in that safety a third of rest and quietnesse For a Religion being once â—ruly discerned approued knit to the heart by the Spirit the Spirit which leades vs into the Truth doth stablish vs in the Truth by the same Light by which it shewes vs the Beauty of Verity it discouers the deformity of Errour yea it will ioyne hands with no Religion but that which is kinne to it Shew the Spirit the whole Millaners shop of Religions which Mountebanke Satan hath set to sale in the world none of them wil fit his hand though neuer so much flourished ouer with the imbrodery of humane wit and earthly Glory The Spirit which gaue the Word will acknowledge no other but the Word of the Spirit My Sheepe sayth Christ heare my voyce but a strangers voice they will not heare Iohn 10. And now what an admirable priuiledge of rest and quietnesse is hereunto annexed The carnall man if he escape the Restinesse gotten by Custome or imposed by Authority hee runneth like the dispossessed spirit through all places both wet and dry seeking rest for his Religion And how can hee finde rest since there is no true rest but in the Truth and that Truth being hidden from flesh and bloud all other Religions that appeare are but Errors and who can blame a man to run from an Error as soone as hee hath found it This
to bee found of an vpright euen a spirituall conuersation and their followers should wee bee that so follow the followers of Christ. Neyther must that backward reasoning be heard among Christians to argue from their own apprehensions or vertues therby to proue what is Truth and Goodnesse which is to reason from themselues to Christ but they must reason from Christ to themselues they must say This Christ did therefore I must doe so and not this I do therefore Christ did so For that were to make thy selfe Christ and Christ a Christian. Yet this many doe and from their owne inclinations fashion the shapes of paternes to themselues not themselues to them And as we must conforme our selues to the deeds of the Spirit so we must to the words of the Spirit and to doe both wee our selues must be spirituall euen the freemen of God Vpon which is grounded the third Rule which is this That euery Saint and sonne of God by the ayde of the Spirit inwardly freeing him and outwardly teaching him must striue to haue an vniuersall libertie of soule free and inclinable to the approouing of all Truthes and to the loue and practice of all goodnesse I say this is a great and glorious liberty of the sonnes of God and of them alone that their soules being liâ—ted vp from the hinges of the flesh and new fastned to the spirit thereby they haue a freedome to mooue whensoeuer the Spirit moues and to loue whatsoeuer the Spirit loues All Truthes are gladly receiued all Goodnesse is highly esteemed bee it in a Complection different yea contrary For this Freeman of God must haue the liberty both of his Iudgement and Will hee will be bound Prentise to no Sect partiality or piece of Truth or Goodnesse but will bee as large as Truth and Goodnesse it selfe And if you will know his Sect the truth is he is only of the Sect of Truth and Goodnesse And that is no Sect. For these he approues wheresoeuer he finds them in what Complexion Religion or Nation soeuer and it seemes Saint Peter himselfe was of this Sect yea God himselfe fauoureth it for Saint Peter saith that of a Truth he perceiued That God in all Nations accepted those that feare him and worke Righteousnesse Therefore henceforth Let no man tye himselfe to a part by some corporeall likenesse or preiudice of birth or education and so separate himself from the whole but let euery true Christian bee a true Catholike euen an vniuersall thing entertayning Truth and Goodnesse in all persons and Complexions yea entertayning all persons and Companies if there bee Truth and Goodnesse in them For let the great and little Sectaries Romanists and Separatists know That the name of Catholicke is most properly his whose iudgement is free to the receite of all Truths but especially and actually of the Fundamentals of Saluation and whose will is free to the imbracing of all persons indued with sanctified Goodnesse issuing from the knowledge of Truth The true Saint is a louer of all sanctifying Truth and a louer of all that are sanctified by the Truth This Saint Iohn testifies when he boldly assumes That the elect Lady was loued in the Truth of all them that loue the Truth Therefore let men boast of singularity and separation that is fearfull to mee which is to them preeminence For they that cut off Saints from them cuts themselues off from the Communion of Saints Yea let not a difference in small Truthes make separation It may bee that Complexion hath only made this difference and hath made him or thee I know not which too straite or too large but take heed that thou doe not for a difference in Complexion separate thy selfe from thy owne Brother The great and certaine Truth and mayne Goodnesse that are in him are more strong to bind thee to an vnion then the difference in small Truths and Duties be to make a Diuision Yea that great Goodnes that is in him except with the Pharisies thou thinke better of thy selfe then others may make thee to suspect thy selfe rather then him And suspect thy selfe and spare not if thou dost not finde in thy selfe this vniuersall liberty of soule which approues all solid truth and sanctified Goodnesse in any person yea loues the persons of that Truth and Goodnesse Let not the flesh part what the Spirit hath ioyned together let not the difference of bodies put a-sunder what the vnity of Grace hath conioyned neyther doe thou know men hereafter according to thy owne flesh but according to Gods Spirit But if thou wilt try whether thou doest make a true spirituall discord see whether thou dost equally make it with men of thy owne Complexion Constitution if they be voyd of Truth and Goodnesse and whether thou dost loue and entertayne any Truth and Goodnesse though he be neuer so much outwardly different that professeth it But if thou sticke at eyther of these thou art not yet a Freeman of the Spirit but a slaue of thy flesh thy loue and hatred are thy owne and not Gods And surely so it appeares in many of this kind for a spirituall hatred dwels in a spirituall heart and a spirituall heart is a charitable heart and a charitable heart euen where it hates there it wisheth that it might haue cause to loue Accordingly these spirituall and charitable haters of Vice rather then Person seeke the amendment of those that they hate they striue as much as is lawfull and possible to liue in peace with all men they attend if at any time they may recouer them from the snare of the Deuill But the Complexionary Zelots think more of Confusion then Conuersion they seeke out Reasons to maintayne a Rent and Difference and to account men of Infirmitie Enemies rather then Brethren and except a man will presently bee saued they will presently damme him But wisdome is iustified of her Children this is the wisdome of the Spirit euen to vnlade our selues of the flesh to free our selues from all the preiudice burden and bondage of it and to dwell in that pure peaceable and vniuersall spirit which entertayneth gladly all Truth and loueth willingly all Goodnesse yea where they are not it wisheth they may bee and expecteth vntill they be But before I leaue this subiect I must both magnifie and pitty the Man truly spirituall He ought to be magnified because hee that is mighty hath magnified him and hath set him in a high degree The Knife of the Spirit hath ript off the flesh from his soule and the flesh doth no more command him but he is a spirituall Freeman His soule is free from darknesse by a maruelous euen a Celestiall Light and his will is free from the bands and chaines of the flesh by a seuering cutting and absoluing Spirit Hee is taller then the sonnes of men and as much higher then they as the Spirit is higher then the flesh and by that step of aduantage hee lookes into Heauen which
they see not Hee is inwardly and really more noble for he hath a free large and emancipated soule which they haue not Hee is more powerfully valiant for hee fighteth the battailes of the Lord against spiritual powers and against the whole Kingdome of darknesse But with this honour that is to be magnified is adioyned a misery to be pittyed For as he fighteth for God against the World and the Prince of the World so the World with all the Complexions thereof yea with the Prince thereof fight together against him His Sword is against euery man and euery man against him and though hee be not euill but a true Israelite in whom is no guile yet therefore the euill World hateth him because hee is not like them Surely the quarrell of the World with the sonnes of God is not because they are naught but because they are vnlike and vnlikenesse is to them as sufficient a cause of debate as wickednesse Yea where there is an vnlikenesse there false wickednesse shal be imputed that which of it selfe is faultlesse may seeme iustly to be condemned as being guilty of that which is truly faulty Because they are vnlike they are hated and because they are hated they must be accused To say truth they are not hated because they are wicked but they are made wicked because they are hated Now this slanderous odiousnesse arising from vnlikenesse is thus hatched Eyther because a man beleeuing fully his owne rightnesse makes himselfe a rule vnto others condemnes them when they swerue from this Rule or because viewing his owne crookednesse in a comparison with a goodmans righteousnesse he finds this comparison of righteousnesse to bee a checke and reproofe to his crookednesse But whatsoeuer the cause is Too true it is That vnlikenesse hath made many Quarrels betweene them and these Quarrels of vnlikenesse too often flow from the opposition of Complexion against Sanctification The sanctified man beeing free from all Complexions yet sundry times vpon sundry occasions serues himselfe of sundry Complexions then commonly hee is censured by the seruants of those Complexions that are contrary to those that are his Seruants For indeed the spirituall man is the Lord of Complexions but the carnall is their seruant Hence as they fight among themselues so most commonly they fight all with him For the spirituall being of no faction nor seueraltie but affecting vniuersall Goodnesse serues himselfe of the goodnesse of each Complexion and refuseth the vices and extremities of it So by reason son of his different temper from all hee hath Enemies of all being Virtus in medio vitiorum Hence the Stiptick and hide-bound or angry Christian when he sees the spirituall man conuersing with Sinners though perchance with hope of edification and cure or some euidence of smoking grace hee cryes out against him and cals him good-fellow an eater with Publicans and Sinners If hee see him vsing some lawfull comfort recreation he cals him a Glutton a Drunkard a Libertine If he see him conuersant with men of the contrary Faction or excusing a Ceremony for the loue of Peace he doubts of his Saluation and holds him to bee fallen from the Faith and takes him for little lesse then one of the damned If the sociable sanguine and neighbourly Christian see the spirituall man with a notable difference to affect those that excell in Vertue to condemne the Drunken meetings of carnall Feastings the lasciuious gestures of dancing prouocations the beastly mirth of Tongues tipt with filthinesse the prophanations of times consecrated to diuine vses the contempt of Gods Word and the carelesse burying it in fleshly recreations He cryes out vpon his purity and defies it and sayes too much Religion hath made him madde If the Lazie Phlegmaticke heare the right Christian cry aloud to the sleeper in security Away thou that sleepest and stand vp from the dead if hee see him painfull in studie abstinent in fasting not slothfull in seruice but zealous to good workes angry with Sinners and reprouing them for their amendment he accounts him a busi-body one that hates his owne quietnesse and hee sayth as Acts 17.6 These men that haue turned the World vp-side downe are come hither also Lastly your melancholy man he is angry also with the Communion of Saints with the Physicians beeing among the sicke with the peace of the godly if their Coates bee not all of one fashion or if one haue a dust on his Coate which the other hath not He condemnes the spirituall man for being at Feasts of Loue for drinking a little Wine though hee haue an infirmity in his stomacke and hee is angry with any visible glory of the visible Church If the true Christian receiue any preferment he holds him a Demas and one that hath forsaken Paul and hath imbraced the World and if hee conuerse with any that are lesse hide-bound then himselfe though perchance more honest hee takes him for a Formalist and a Time pleaser So the spirituall man scapes not his blowes neyther and thus hee is beaten of all sides But though this to many be a great disheartning to bee as Ieremy a man against all men and all men against him yet to the Children of Wisdome it is a Testimoniall and incouragement That is indeed true Wisdome which is contrary to the corruption of all humours and by reason of this contrariety is refused of all both piping merily and mourning dolefully Carnall mirth hateth spirituall sadnesse and carnall sadnesse hateth spirituall mirth yet the wisedome of of the Spirit is still true Wisedome euen the Wisedome of God and is iustified still both by the Father and the Children Therefore stand thou strong in the path of the Spirit and let this opposition on all sides bee vnto thee a testimony and approbation that thou art on no side but in the midst Thy businesse is to turne neyther to the right hand nor to the left though terrours assayle thee both on the right and on the left keepe thou the narrow way of Verity that leadeth to Eternity Thou art going to Canaan looke aswell for vnkindnesse of thy Cousin the Edomite a seeming professor as of thy Enemy the prophane Amalakite Thou artfighting a good fight for the Crowne of Righteousnesse expect to be in perils not only by Robbers but in perils by false Brethren the Crowne when it comes will pay for all Lastly I note one Combate of the flesh yet seeming to bee of the Spirit and that is the Combate betweene Zeale and Discretion A Combate I confesse which I grieue to speake of for it is the falling out of Brethren or rather of Man and Wife I had much rather to contemplate how blessed is the Marriage and vnity of these two and how faire and beautifull is their issue Surely the fruits of this Vnion are farre more glorious then the Apples of Gold with Pictures of Siluer For it is the absolutenesse of each holy Worke when it is fashioned by the Zeale of
of the iudged hee sayth Hee shall bee holden vp for God is able to make him stand The different decency of haire is iustly recommended by Paul to different sexes yet if any man will be contentious herein he will not ioyne battaile with him but tells him that neyther hee nor the Churches of God haue any such Custome as Contention I wish wee could truely say so too and that the fight begun about Easter euen Loue lost for a holiday were not now renewed in the like kinde though on other occasions But I desire the saints of God seriously to consider this That if the Church of God haue no such custome as Contention how can they that haue such a custome as Contention be the Church of God Let the Zealous consider that the kindly heat of the fire of the Spirit is Loue and not Contention but if this heat grow contentious it ceaseth to bee Spirituall Wine is no longer wine but vineger when it hath lost his comfortable and sprightly heat and hath fret it selfe into sowrenesse and tartnesse And surely the heat Zeale which is degenerated from edifying and comfortable charity into opposition biting and iudging is no longer the heat of the Spirit but a rage of the Flesh. A Second marke of indiscreet Zeale is that it is vnseasonable and full of confusion It will haue perfection to be the fruit of a moment and it will not stay for seasons and occasions The Pharises would haue the old bottles presently filled with new wine and the Children of the wedding to fast while the Bridegroome was with them If they would haue stayd vntill the bottles had beene renewed or the Bridegroome had beene departed their Zeale had beene approoueable whereas now it was vnseasonable In many cases wee are aduised to beare euill men patiently and not to breake out into a fury if at such times as wee would they cannot breake the snares of the Deuill but our patience is to expect if at any time God will that they may escape Many there are that are impatient of euill men and driue them away by terrour and despight if they be not presently conuerted yet it directly breakes this precept and shewes that they would bee masters and authours of mens saluation and not waiters vpon God that only giues the increase When they haue spoken it must be done whereas it shall not be done vntill God speake What if God will haue him called at the twelfth houre wilt thou damne him if hee be not conuerted at the ninth houre waite thou on Gods leasure for God will not waite on thy pleasure he may saue him at last if thou driue him not from hearing by thy fiercenesse and if thou doe so thou edifiest to Hell and art not Gods but Satans Minister Againe others are vnseasonable in not being as wise Fishers for Soules as men are for Fishes They seeke not with Paul to catch them by craft neither striue so farre to please as pleasing may bee an aduancement of profiting Yea there is a delight taken sometimes in falling right ouerthwart an errour or infirmity so a boysterous wind makes the man hold his cloke the faster which a warme sunblast would haue gently perswaded from his backe It is not amisse to ground the perswasions of things not beleeued on things beleeued of duties vnpractised on duties practised and reproofes of faults on commendations of vertues Paul telling King Agrippa hee beleeued the Prophets had wonne him almost to bee a Christian and when he meanes to chide the Corinthians as in some points Carnall and not Spirituall he beginnes his Epistle with the title of Saints and thankes to God that they were rich in vtterance and knowledge And since we haue fallen into mention of Pauls behauiour to Agrippa by that and other such examples may wee learne the comelinesse of discreet admonition and the ragged harshnesse of indiscretion Agrippa before Paul spake with him was much lesse then a Christian for hee was but almost a Christian when hee had done with him Yet Paul doth not call him Vnbeleeuer but takes hold on that beliefe which he gaue to the Iewish Religion by that to bring him to the Christian. Dauid shed the bloud of Vrtas but Nathan did not call him Murderer but first gayned his own iudgment from him and set it against himselfe He tooke Dauid by craft and Nathan did not at first condemne him before hee had set Dauid against Dauid and made him to pronounce sentence vpon himselfe Saint Ambrose admonisheth Theodosius of his cruell execution of the Thessalonians but ue doth it with such reuerence to his person with such expression of Loue and meere seeking of his Saluation That a most valiant Emperour could not but receiue patiently the Spirituall bonds wherewith hee tyed him below that hee might take a course to free himselfe aboue No doubt but the like occasions may still befall and Princes may neede Admonition and why should they not haue them if they neede them for else were they more miserable then common men and Salomons woe were especially vpon them because when they fall there were none to helpe them vp But it being granted that they may fall and that falling they are to be raysed by Admonition Let the matter of the Admonition be fitted to the Fault be it Murder Adulterie vnhallowing of Gods name c. but let the manner bee framed to the best aduantage of preuayling which generally is with a regard to the dignity of the person and the remaynder of his Vertues Let it appeare that that which speakes is Loue and that for which it speakes is Saluation and how can any heart if it haue goodnesse in any proportion to greatnesse shut it selfe against Loue bringing with it Saluation I doubt not but there are certaine fiery Spirits that like no example but that of the Prophet See how this Murderers sonne hath sent to take away my head but they know not that one kind of Spirit fits not all persons times and occasions but they ought to know That is the best Spirit which fits best with these particulars and is most likely to effect that good which it intends The others doe but driue away the birds with noyse which they pretend to take with nets This Art of Admonition is most excellently described by Gregorie the Great in his Morals vpon Iob lib. 12. cap. 3. and vpon Ezekiel libr. 1. homil 11. And now let vs goe downe from the top of mankind to the bottome and there see how ordinary men may bee discreetly disswaded from ordinary sinnes For example If you would get Vsury from a man I thinke it not best to flye suddenly into his face with the cudgell of Damnation for that may make him stand vpon his guard and fall to the defence of his sinne but deale with him vpon confessed grounds and on those build that which is not confessed Tell him at first that which hee cannot denie that men must all
liue one by another and that for one man to fret out all others and to liue by himselfe is in humane That Charity in one sight regards the benefit of another with her owne That in Vsury vsually the benefit goes most if not all of one side yea sometimes the benefit of the one riseth out of the losse of the other Now where these things are there such lending is the cause of fretting and vndoing So it remaynes they must eyther grant what they first denyed that men may fret and vndoe one another or else they must condemne their lending which is so fretfull and iniurious In briefe let vs first worke vpon mens Iudgements by informing them and not presently at the first sight flye on their wills and affections to racke and force them Againe where there are great and little faults to bee amended let vs not bee more busie for the little then the great nor equally importune an amendment of all together For verily I beleeue good occasions of Reformation haue beene lost because too many faults haue beene brought together to amendment yea little and doubtfull faults and such as might be healed with a good construction haue beene brought in equally vpon the File with those of greater moment And what doth this course doe but magnifie the tediousnesse of the worke and increase the difficulty of it What doth it but bring this answere to vse That changes are dangerous and euills well setled are better then much vnsetling by much amending What doth it but bring a doubt that nothing will satisfie since faults seeme more to be sought then found But I wish that alwaies there might bee an aduised and temperate demand in matters of Reformation and though it bee vnaduisedly demanded yet there may be giuen a iust and solide answere and such as might regard to please God by mayntayning the purity of his Spouse the Church rather then to satisfie or vnsatisfie the indiscretions of men Let Gods cause euer be maintayned whether proposed or opposed by our owne enemies A third fault of indiscreet Zeale is That it is censorious and passeth easily into condemnation both of things persons Not to speake of indifferent things too often censured I say some men and some matters are condemned eyther not heard or not vnderstood and yet the Heathen Romanes vsed not to condemne any before hearing and much more wee that are Christians ought to know those things whereof wee affirme There are heights of Dispensation which meane vnderstandings reach not vnto and yet for such sometimes they despise dominion and speake euill of Dignities Christ is censured for being among the sicke yet a Physician for the waste of a precious Oyntment yet going to buriall So the blame which belongs to their owne incapacity they cast on that which deserueth commendation and that which is in it selfe good is by them called euill only because they are not wise enough to see the goodnesse of it Againe there are many good actions of good men that by censorious Zeale are taxed as euill and yet are only knowne in some out-side of probability but the inside wherein the life of the action lyes is not knowne The Iewes were in a rage with Peter for going to the Gentiles yet when the cause was knowne his fault was found to bee a Vertue The Reubenites Gadites and halfe Tribe of Manasseth were indicted of Apostasie for building an Altar but that which was thought to bee Apostasie was indeed a memoriall and meanes of cleaning to the true God Wherefore let vs not be hastie to iudge according to apparances but let vs take time to iudge righteous Iudgements For if thou iudge another rashly and falsly GOD shall iudge both him and thee truly He shall iudge ouer the matter againe and shall acquite him whome thou condemnest and shall comdemne thee for condemning him So thy iudgement of another shall returne vpon thy selfe And surely in this point Let euery good Conscience comfort it selfe in it selfe and passe little to be iudged by another in that which another knowes not for thou standest to the Iudgement Seat of the Highest Wisdome and Mercie and not to the Barre of humane Ignorance or Malice Fourthly indiscreet zeale is often in the flesh when it thinkes it is in the Spirit yet will not beleeue it and so will not be cured First I noted that by following heate to farre it outgoeth the Spirit and runs out into the flesh And now I obserue that it being gotten into the flesh it still beleeues it selfe to be spirituall and so in steed of retyring it fortifies it selfe there Hence it comes that many fleshly contentions are mayntayned by Scriptures yea Sermons and Scriptures are fitted to passions not passions to Scriptures So flesh and bloud fights carnally with spirituall Weapons yea which is fearefull turnes spirituall Weapons into carnall Malice sometime rayleth in Scripture Phrases and beateth his Enemies with Diuinity and thinkes it may speake what it will so it bee in the words of Scripture if it haue a seeming opposition of vice it cares not how angry it bee though indeed Pamphlets of that kind be no other then Libels and Sermons then Philippickes Yet this abuse of Diuinitie shall bee maintayned by Diuinitie and so she is miserably forced to iustifie and continue her owne wrongs But let Baal plead for himselfe let not God be forced to speake for Baal nor the Spirit for the flesh Adde not sinne vnto sinne It is a sinne great enough to come out of the Spirit into the flesh and to turne the busines of God into a Quarrell with men doe not adde this other sinne of abusing the spirituall Word vnto the mayntenance of thy fleshly contentions so by the Spirit to fight the battayles of his Enemy the flesh But to draw to a Conclusion Let all true Christians striue that their Workes bee the true Issues of Zeale maâ—ryed with Discretion for such Workes are the acceptable Salt and sauoury Sacrifices of Wise-men and not the loth some Sacrifices of Pooles Let them know that the fire of the Spirit the Mother of all true Zeale hath light in it aswell as heate and the heate should follow the light and not goe before it otherwise if the heate goe before the light or without it it may set on fire where it should but warme and so may breed a Confusion whereas the businesse of it is edification Let vs by ioyning the wisdome of Serpents with the innocencie of Doues become those excellent and perfect Stewards whom the Lord commends both for being wise and faithfull whose faithfulnesse giues meate to the Seruants and whose Wisedome doth it in season euen in fitnesse of manner measure and order And farre bee it from any sound Christian to put a Diuorce betweene that incomparable payre whose Marriage was in Heauen Zeale and Discretion or to thinke that one alone of them can bee a sufficient Parent of good Workes Much lesse let any man if hee find these separated by wretched Diuision seeke to bring them together in a more wretched Contention The parting of so louely a couple is lamentable but a malicious meeting of them is far more dolful For by their own good nature they incline to loue and vnity and therefore cursed is that Malice that changeth into Enmity the most excellent Vnity Hee that sets Vertues by the eares is as he that sets Brethren by the eares yea as one that makes Quarrels betweene Men and their Wiues Surely if the Peace-makers be blessed being the Children of the most High then such Quarrel-makers bee accursed and are the Children of the Lowest euen the most infernall spirit To conclude Let vs as the new borne sonnes of the Spirit lay aside all Maliciousnesse and lust of Contention which are the vices of the old man and expresse the true Vertues of a godly Nature receiued with the new man euen Charity Peace and Vnity Let not the difference of Education or Complexion or the vnkindly opposition of Zeale Discretion bee powerfull to a separation where the Vnity of one and the same Spirit hath made a coniunction But let the Spirit bee more followed leading vs to loue then the flesh prouoking to hatred And surely if wee bee not in loue wee are not in the Spirit for whosoeuer is in the Spirit is in loue yea hee is in loue with loue And as loue is commended by the Author of it which is the Spirit so it is also praysed by the excellent fruit of it called Edification for by loue the members of Christ cherish each other and by that cherishing increase in their growth Besides as Sion inwardly prospereth by loue so by the loue of Sion Babylon decayeth For the more Loue and Vnity in Sion the more strength the more strength in Sion the more terror yea the more ruin of BabyloÌ„ WheÌ„ the Banners are brought into the Vnion of an Army then they are terrible Cant. 6. And when Israel ioynes together in the Vnity of a Shoute then are the wals of Iericho most neere to their Downfall CYPRIAN de Vnitate Ecclesiae Pacificos esse oportet Dei filios corde mites sermone simplices affectione concordes fideliter sibi vnanimitatis nexibus coherentes Et post Erant perseuerantes omnes vnanimes in oratione ideo efficacibus precibus orabant ideo impetrare cum fiducia poterant quodcumque de Domini misericordia postularunt FINIS