only upon him build upon his Gospel for your instruction his grace for your conversion his bloud for your redemption his prayer for your intercession Secondly Cohaerete invicem sticke fast together bee firmly united in Christian charity keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Unities severed or divided make no number letters divided make no syllable syllables divided make no word words divided make no speech members divided make no body stones divided make no wall The Ark of the Church is like the ship in controversie of law in which two owners claimed right of which it was said p Eras Adag Si dividas perdis if you cut it in two parts to satisfie both parties you destroy the whole Thirdly Adhaerete tecto be pinned fast unto and support the roofe What is the roofe but the higher q Rom. 13.1 powers ordained of God As the roofe must beare off stormes from the walls so the walls must beare up the roofe if the roofe decay the walls will soone feele it The Athenians in their greatest dangers were wont r Eras chil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to cast out the great ancher which they called the holy ancher the chiefest Pilots and Steresmen in our State discover so great dangers that they command the holy ancher to be cast out and if this ancher fasten not on your golden sands the great vessell in whose bottome lyeth not only the safety of the Prince the honour of the Kingdome but the state of sincere Religion throughout the Christian world is in perill of drowning and if the great vessell miscarry what will become of the skiphs of every ones private estate Yee have heard beloved Christians of the materiall Temple to be erected and kept in repaire by you that are wealthy and the spirituall to bee built repaired and adorned in you all yee have learned how yee as living stones are to be drawne to this building fitted for it and placed in it yet when we have done what we can to build you in your most holy faith and yee have helped furthered the work what yee are able except the Å¿ Psal 127.1 Lord build the house their labour is but in vain that go about to build it Wherefore let us addresse our praiers to God the Master-builder and to Jesus Christ the foundation and chiefe corner-stone to build us upon himselfe by faith and fit us for this building by obedience and couple and joyne us fast by charity that we may continue as solid and firme stones here in the earthly and shine hereafter as precious stones in the heavenly Jerusalem So be it heavenly Father for the merits of thy Sonne by the powerfull operation of the holy Spirit Cui c. PEDUM PASTORALE SEU CONCIO AD CLERUM HABITA OXONIAE OCTAVO CAL. APRILIS AERAE CHRISTIANAE 1615. CONC XXXIX Praecat AETerne Deus longè supra omne quod coelo terrâve nominatur nomen verendum numen qui oculorum tuorum radiis solem ipsum obscurantibus intimos animi recessus reconditos sinus perlustras nos miselli tenebriones è coeno emersi foedissimis insuper flagitiorum sordibus conspurcati vultus tui fulgorem non ferentes ad celsissimae majestatis tuae pedes humillimè provolvimur obnixè orantes per unigeniti tui plagas vulnera obtestantes ut animum nostrum fractum contusum pro caesâ hostiâ lachrymas effusas pro libamine suspiria quae ducimus pro suffitu vota preces zelo accensas pro thymiamate digneris suscipere aureo Angeli tui thuribulo infundere ut odoramentis permisceantur quae sunt preces Sanctorum Quas una cum iis offerimus pro Catholicâ Ecclesiâ in totum terrarum orbem diffusâ propagatâ praesertim florentissimâ illius parte magnae Britaniae Hiberniae pomeriis conclusâ sub umbrâ serenissimi Jacobi letâ germinum propagine revirescente Cujus stirpes duas utramque academiam hanc Oxoniensem illam Cantabrigiensem largo gratiarum imbre irriga Illustra vultus tui luce clarissimum Elismuriae dominum Pernassi nostri totiusque adeò Angliae Cancellarium venerabilem virum D. Godwinum aedis Christi Decanum ejus Procancellarium spectatissimos Doctores Procuratores Collegiorum Aularum praefectos prae caeteris Collegii corporis Christi caput membra bonitatis sinu fove Exurge Aquilo aspira Auster perfla hortum hunc ut fluant aromata ejus ambrosium odorem in omnes insulae partes oras dissipent Vireant peâ—petuò coelesti rore irrigatae aeternâ—m floreant Herâ—um Heroâ—arum corollae qui Edenem hunc vel aedificiis magnificis tanquam proceris arboriâ—â—us conseverunt vel annuis reditibus tanquam rivulis humectarunt vel amplissimis privilegiis tanquam firmissimis moenibus sepiverunt Henricum dico septimum Elizabetham uxorem ejus Humphredum dâ—cem Glocestriae Margaretam Comitissam Richmondiae Johannem Kempium Archiepiscopum Cantuari easem Thomam Kempium Episcopum Lonamensem Richardum Lichfieldium Archidiaconum Middlesextiae Wolsaeum Eboracensem Henricum octavum Reginam Mariam saeculi sui sexasque phoenicem Elizabetham ejusque regni religionisque haeredem dignissimum Jacobum Richardum Foxum Episcopum Wintoniensem Collegii corporis Christi fundatorem Hugonem Oldamium praesulem Exoniensem de eodem phrontisterio optimè meritum dominum Thomam Bodleum militem Vaticanae novae instauratorem instructorem munificentissimum Benignissime Deus qui nos in hoc terreno Paradiso in quo non saecularis tantùm sapientiae veluti arboris scientiae boni mali sed divinae philosophiae seu verae arboris vitae fructus liberè licet decerpere collacasti stomachum irrita ut appetamus salubria mentem coelesti lace perfunde ut percipiamus appetita memoriam confirma ut retineamâ—s percepta os aperi ut tempestivè proferamus retenta postremò cogitationes cordisque motus dirige ut referamus prolata ad gloriae tuae illustrationem Ecclesiae quam Filii sanguine acquisivisti fructum emolumentum Cujus saluti incolumitati ut melius consulatur continuas agat providentia tua excubias super vigiles pastores gregis tui praecipuè quos in sublimi speculâ constituisti Archiepiscopos Episcopos omnes prae reliquis reverendissimum in Christo patrem Georgium Abotium Archiepiscopum Cantuariensem totius Angliae primatem metropolitanum dominum meum multis nominibus colendissimum Ut omnia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 complectar floreat perpetuò sceptrum Mosis virga Aaronis gemmet stemmata nobilium generosorum equitum germinent ut patulis eorum ramiis obumbrata plebs foeliciter succrescat omnes in viros in Christo perfectos adolescamus Ita toti in laudes tuas effundemur qui nos è colluvie saeculi selegisti quos immortali verbi semine gigneres denuò sacramentis aleres Filii cruore ablueres Spiritus sancti
stopped in time will drowne the greatest vessell fraught with the richest merchandise Your experience sheweth you that Bristow and Cornish stones and many other false gems have such a lustre in them and so sparkle like true jewels that a cunning Lapidarie if he be not carefull may be cheated with them such are the enlightning graces which shine in hypocrites they so neerly resemble the true sanctifying and saving graces of the Elect that the eye of spirituall wisedome it selfe may mistake them if it be not single and looke narrowly into them Are not repentance from dead workes faith in Christ peace of conscience and joy in the holy Ghost the proper characters of a regenerate Christian and an elect childe of God Yet Esau counterfeited the first the d Heb 12.17 Apostle saith that after he had sold his birth-right he sought it with teares Simon Magus the second St. Luke saith he e Acts 8.13 beleeved The man possessed in the Gospell the third our Saviour saith all things were in f Luke 11.21 peace in his house The Jewes the fourth the text saith they g Joh. 5 35. rejoyced at St. Johns preaching Here then is worke for spirituall wisedome to discerne h Gib in Cant. Qualis unguentorum artifex est satanas qui de mortis olla vitae vapores exire simulat venenum quasi balsamum facit spâ—are a sented poyson from Balsamum to distinguish tears of repentance such as Peters were from teares of discontent and revenge such as * Heb. 12.17 Esau's were a temporarie faith such as i Act. 8.13 Simon Magus his was from a justifying such as k Luke 9.9 Zacheus his was a feared conscience such as the l Luke 11.21 When a strong man armed keepeth his Palace his goods are in peace possessed man had from a secured conscience such as St. m Acts 24.16 Pauls was lastly a sudden exultation of the spirit such as the n John 5 â—5 Ye were willing for a season to rejoyce in his light Jewes was from true joy in the holy Ghost such as o Psal 4.7 Davids was 3. The third point of spirituall wisedome is to consider what infirmities and maladies of minde our naturall constitution state place or profession or course of life maketh us most subject unto and to furnish our selves with store of remedies against them to mark where we lie most open to temptation and there to have our ward readie For Satan playeth alwayes upon advantage and for the most part boweth us that way to which we incline of our selves through the weakenesse of our nature he sailes ever with the wind Is our knowledge in matter of faith deficient he tempts us to error Is our conscience tender he tempteth us to scrupulositie and too much precisenesse Hath our conscience like the eclipticke line some latitude he tempteth us to carnall libertie Are we bold spirited he tempteth us to presumption Are we timorous and distrustfull he tempteth us to desperation Are we of a flexible disposition he tempteth us to inconstancie Are we stiffe he labours to make obstinate Heretikes Scismatikes or Rebels of us Are we of an austere temper he tempteth us to crueltie Are we soft and milde he tempteth us to indulgence and foolish pitie Are we hot in matter of Religion he tempteth us to blind zeale and superstition Are we cold he tempteth us to Atheisme and flat irreligion Are we moderate he tempteth us to Laodicean lukewarmednesse The Camelion when he lieth on the grasse to catch flies and grashoppers taketh upon him the colour of the grasse as the Polypus doth the colour of the rock under which he lurketh that the fish may boldly come neere him without any suspition of danger in like maner Sathan turnes himselfe into that shape which we least feare and sets before us such objects of temptation as are most agreeable to our humours naturall desires and inclinations that so he may the sooner draw us into his net St. p Greg. l. 29. mor. in Job c. 38. Prius conspersionem uniuscujusque antiquus adversarius perspicit tunc tentationis laqueos apponit alius namque laetiâ— alius tristibus alius timidis alius claris moribus existit Quâ— ergo occultus adversarius facile capiat vicinas conspersionibus deceptiones parat Quia enim laetitiae voluptas juxta est laetis moribus luxuriem proponit quia tristitia in iâ—am facile labitur tristibus poculum discordiae porrâ—git paventibus terrores intâ—ntat quia ela os extolli laudibus conspicit eos blandis favoribus trahit singulis igitur hominibus vitiis convenientibus insidiatur Gregorie long agoe noted this subtle device of the wily serpent he hath saith he fit allurements for all sorts of men as fishermen have baits for fishes for the luxurious he baiteth his hooke with pleasure for the ambitious with honor for the covetous with gain for the licentious with libertie for the factious with schisme for the studious with curiosity for the vaine-glorious with popularity Here then is our spirituall wisedome seene to be strong alwayes there where our enemie is like to lie in ambush and where he goeth about to undermine us to meet him with a countermine To unfold this precept of wisdome even to the meanest capacity Art thou by nature a lover of pleasure bend thy whole strength against the sin of luxurie Art thou of a fiery disposition lay all upon it to bridle thy passion of anger and desire of revenge Hast thou too much earth in thy complexion and art given to the world furnish thy selfe continually with spirituall levers to lift up thy heart and raise thy thoughts and affections to heaven and heavenly objects Doth the eminencie of thy place bring thee in danger of high mindednesse let thy whole study bee humility Doth thy profession incline thee to contention study peace to dissembling and cousening study honesty to extortion and exaction study charity and practise restitution to corruption and receiving the wages of iniquity let all thy prayers and endeavours be for integrity Socrates was wont say facile est Athenienses Athenis laudare that it was no unpleasing argument to commend the vertues of the Athenians at Athens neither will it seeme burthensome I hope to recommend yet more instructions of wisedome to you that are wise God hath spread abroad the heaven and the earth as large samplars before our eyes wherein every act of his speciall providence in governing the affaires of the world is as a flower or curious piece of drawne-worke which a wise man ought to take out by observation and worke it in his owne life by imitation 4. The fourth lesson therefore which wisedome readeth to all those that have eares to heare is to observe the carriage of all affaires in this great City of the world and to set a marke upon Gods wonderfull protection and care over the godly and his fearefull judgements
ceaseth to offer up prayers to God with strong cries till hee be eased of them Are wee such bruised reeds We often in stead of denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts have with Peter denied our Master but doe wee weep bitterly with him and as hee whensoever hee heard the Cocke crow after the deniall of his Master fell on weeping afresh so doe the wounds of our consciences bleed afresh at the sight of every object and hearing of every sound which puts us in mind of our crimson sinnes We have polluted our beds with David but doe wee cleanse them as he did doe wee make our couches to swimme with teares of repentance Wee have intertained with Mary Magdalen many soule sinnes like so many uncleane spirits but have wee broken a boxe of precious oyntment upon Christs head or kneeled downe and washed his feet with our teares If wee have done so then are we bruised reeds indeed and shall not be broken but if otherwayes wee be not bruised in heart for our sinnes and breake them off by mature repentance wee shall bee either broken for them by sore chastisements in this world or which is worst of all like unfruitfull and rotten trees be reserved to be fuell for Hell fire But because the bruised reed was the measure of my former discourse I will now fall to blow the smoaking flaxe which Christ will not quench To quench the light especially the light of the spirit in our hearts seemeth to bee a worke of darknesse how then may it bee ascribed to the Father of lights or what meaneth the Prophet to deny that Christ will doe that which is so repugnant to his nature that if he would he could not doe it Religiously learned antiquity hath long ago assoyled this doubt teaching us that God quencheth as he hardneth Non infundendo malitiam sed subducendo gratiam not by pouring on any thing like water to quench the flame but by taking away that oyly moisture which nourisheth it Our daily experience sheweth us that a lampe or candle may bee extinguished three manner of wayes at least 1. By a violent puffe of winde 2. By the ill condition of the weeke indisposed to burne 3. By want of waxe or defect of oyle to feed it Even so the light of the Spirit may be quenched in us by three meanes either by a violent temptation of the evill spirit as it were a puffe of wind or by the inbred corruption of our nature repelling grace which fitly resembleth the indisposition of the week to take fire or keep in it the flame or lastly by subtraction of divine grace which is the oyle or sweet waxe that maintaineth this light By the first meanes the Divell by the second man himselfe by the third God quencheth the light of the spirit in them who love darknesse more than light but such are not those who in my Text are compared to smoaking flaxe For though they have small light of knowledge to shine to others yet they have heat of devotion burning in themselves Hil. In haec verba igniculum fidei concipientes quadam dilectione cum carne juxta fumantes quos Christus non extinxit sed incendit in iis ignem perfectae charitatis they are such saith St. Hilary Who conceiving in themselves a small sparke of faith because they are in part still flesh burne not cleerly but as it were smoakily whom Christ will not quench but kindle in them the fire of perfect charity St. * Greg. in Evan. Dom. Quod sacerdotes lineis uterentur vestibus Gregory by smoaking flaxe understandeth the Aaronicall Priesthood now dimly burning and ready to go out he thinketh the flaxe to have some reference to the Priests linnen garments made of it Tertullian paraphraseth the smoaking flaxe Momentaneum gentium fervorem The momentary fervour of the Gentiles in whom the light of nature by sinfull filthinesse being extinct exhaleth most pestiferous fumes of noysome lusts St. a Chrysost in Matth. ca. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome and St. Austin through the smoake discerne the Scribes and Pharisees and other enemies of Christ their envie and malice which soultred within them but brake not out into an open flame Whom Christ quenched not that is destroyed not though he could have as easily done it as breake a reed already bruised or tread out a stinking snuffe cast upon the ground But these expositions in the judgement of later Divines seem either constrained and forced or at the lest too much restrained and narrow They therfore extend the meaning of them to all weak Christians either newly converted or relapsed b Pintus In quibus tamen relucet aliquid bonae spei c Junius Scintilla aliqua pietatis veluti moribunda d Aquinas Tepidi ad opus bonum habentes tamen aliquid gratiae e Arboreus Extinctioni vicini f Guilliandus Qui sceleribus gravissimis seu fumo quodam oculos bonorum offendunt veluti foetore corruptae famae mores piorum infestant Breathing out bitter fumes for their sinnes offending the godly with the ill savour of their lives luke-warm to good workes neere extinction in whom yet remaines some light of faith and hope though very obscure some warmth of charity some sparke of grace Comfort then O comfort the fainting spirits and cheare up the drouping conscience say to the bruised reed that is now unfit to make a pipe to sound or a cane to write the praises of God thou shalt not be broken and to the smoaking flaxe which gives but a very dimme light and with the fume offendeth the eyes of the godly and with the stench their noses thou shalt not bee quenched Nothing is so easie as to breake a reed already bruised the least weight doth it nothing so facile as to quench smoaking flaxe the least touch doth it yet so milde was our Saviour that he never brake the one nor quenched the other The flaxe or weeke smoaketh either before it is fully kindled or after it is blowne out If we consider it in the first condition the morall or spirituall meaning of the Text is that Christ cherisheth the weake endeavours and small beginnings of grace in his children For we must know that in our first conversion the measure of grace is but small in us and mixt with much corruption which if Christ should quench there would be found never a cleere burning lampe in his Church but hee most graciously preserveth it and augmenteth it because it is a sparke from heaven kindled by his owne spirit and it much illustrateth his glory to keep it from going out notwithstanding the indisposition of the weeke to burne and continuall blasts of temptation ready to blow it out I said in my haste quoth David I am cast out of thy sight there is smoake in the flaxe Psal 31.22 yet was not the flaxe quenched for he addeth yet thou heardest the voice of my prayer
terris the Earth trembled the Stones clave with indignation the vaile of the Temple rent it selfe the Heaven mourned in sables the Sunne that he might not behold such outrage done upon so sacred a person drew in his beams He who suffereth all this quatcheth not stirreth not nor discovereth his divine Majesty no not when death approached When all insensible creatures seemed to be sensible of the injury offered their Maker he who feeleth all seemeth to be insensible For hee maketh no resistance at all and though he were omnipotent yet his patience overcame his omnipotency and even to this day restraineth his justice from taking full revenge of them who were the authours of his death and of those who since crucifie againe the Lord of life and trample under their feet the bloud of the Covenant as a prophane thing Whose thoughts are not swallowed up in admiration at this that he who is adored in heaven is not yet revenged upon the earth You see meeknesse in his passions behold now this vertue expressed to the life in his life and actions Actions I say whether naturall or miraculous so indeed they are usually distinguished albeit Christs miraculous actions were naturall in him proceeding from his divine nature and most of his naturall actions as they are called proceeding from his humane nature were in him wonderfull and miraculous For instance to weep is a most naturall action but to weep in the midst of his triumph and that for their ruine who were the cause of all his woe to shed teares for them who thirsted after his bloud was after a sort miraculous Who ever did the like Indeed we reade that Marcellus wept over Syracuse and Scipio over Carthage and Titus over Jerusalem as our Saviour did but the cause was far different They shed teares for them whose bloud they were to shed but our Saviour for them who were ready to shed his Luke 19.41 His bowels earned for them who thought it long till they had pierced his heart with a launce When the high Priest commanded Paul to be smote on the face hee rebuked him saying The Lord shall smite thee thou painted wall Acts 23 3. but when the Lord himselfe was smitten by the high Priests servant he falls not foule upon him but returnes this milde answer If I have done evill John 18.23 beare witnesse of the evill but if I have done well why strikest thou me The servant thinketh much to endure that from the Master which the Master endures from the servant The Apostles on whom the Spirit descended in the likenesse of fiery tongues were often hot and inflamed with wrath against the enemies of God and brought downe fearfull judgements upon them but our Saviour on whom the Spirit descended in the likenesse of a Dove never hurt any by word or deed 2 Kin. 5.27 Matth. 8.2 Luke 4.27 17.12 Acts 13.11 Acts 5.5.10 Eliah inflicted leprosie upon Gehazi by miracle Christ by miracle cleansed divers lepers Saint Paul tooke away sight from Elymas Christ by miracle restored sight to many Saint Peter miraculously with a word strucke Ananias and Sapphira down dead Christ by miracle raised many from death insomuch that his very enemies gave this testimony of him Mark 7 37. Hee hath done all well giving to the lame feet to the maimed strength to the dumbe speech to the deafe eares to the blind sight to the sicke health to the dead life to the living everlasting joy and comfort I have proposed unto you a notable example shall I need to put to spurres of art to pricke on your desires to follow it the example is our Saviour and the vertue exemplified in him meeknesse How excellent must the picture be which is set in so rich a frame such a vertue were to be imitated in any person such a person to be imitated in any vertue how much more such a vertue in such a person It is hard to say whether ought to bee the stronger motive unto us to follow meeknesse either because it is the prince of vertues or the vertue of our Prince whose stile is Princeps pacis Where the prince is the Prince of peace and the kingdome the Kingdome of grace and the law the Law of love they must certainly be of a milde and loving disposition that are capable of preferment in it If the Spirit be an oyntment as S. a 1. John 2.20 But you have an oyntment from the Holy One and you know all things John calleth it it must needs supple If grace bee a dew it cannot but moisten and soften the heart and make it like Gedeons fleece Judges 6.37 which was full of moisture when all the ground about it was dry What can be said more in the commendation of any vertue than meeknesse and of it than this that God commandeth it in his Word Christ patterneth it in his life and death the holy Spirit produceth it in our hearts our very nature enclineth us to it and our condition requireth it of us No vertue so generally commended as meeknesse Follow after righteousnesse 1 Tim. 6.11 godlinesse faith love patience meeknesse bee no brawler Tit. 3.2 but gentle shewing all meeknesse to all men Walke worthy of the vocation whereunto you are called with all lowlinesse and meeknesse with long-suffering forbearing one another in love endeavouring to keep the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of peace James 3.17 18. The wisedome that is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits and the fruit of righteousnesse is sowne in peace of them that make peace No fruit of the spirit so sweet and pleasant as this as on the contrary no fruit of the flesh so tart and bitter as jealousie and wrath which God curseth by the mouth of b Genes 40.7 Cursed be their anger for it was fierce and their rage for it was cruell Jacob but blesseth meeknesse by the mouth of our Saviour Matth. 5.5 Blessed are the meeke for they shall inherit the earth The earth was cursed before it brought forth thornes and thistles and briars which are good for nothing but to bee burned Wherefore let us hearken to the counsell of St. c Cypr. de zelo bâ—â—ore Evellamus spinas de cordibus ut dâ—â—minicum semen nos fertili fruge locupletet Cyprian Let us weed out of our soules envie wrath and jealousie and other stinging and pricking passions And of the Apostle Let no root of d Heb. 12.15 Looking diligently lest any root of bitternesse springing up trouble you bitternesse remaine in us that we may receive with meeknesse the engraffed Word which is able to save our soules James 1.21 Our carnall lusts are like so many serpents and of all wrath is the most fiery which will set all in a combustion if it bee not either quenched by the teares of repentance or slacked by the infusion of divine
see thy selfe in heaven with one eye than to see thy selfe in hell with both better hoppe into life with one legge than runne to eternall death with both better without a right hand to bee set with the sheepe at Gods right hand than having a right hand to bee set at Gods left hand and afterwards with both thine hands bee bound to bee cast into hell fire c ver 44.46.48 where the worme never dyeth and the fire is not quenched and againe and a third time where the worme never dyeth and the fire is not quenched At the mention whereof it being the burthen of his dolefull Sonnet our Saviour perceiving the eares of his auditors to tingle in the words of my text hee yeeldeth a reason of that his so smart and biting admonition saying For every one shall be salted c. and withall hee sheweth them a meanes to escape that unquenchable fire which they so much dreaded and to kill the immortall worme which even now began to bite them The meanes to escape the one is to bee salted here with fire and the meanes to kill the other is to be salted here with salt for salt preserveth from that putrefaction which breedeth that worme He who now is salted with the fire of zeale or heart-burning sorrow for his sinnes shall never hereafter bee salted with the fire of hell this fire will keepe out that as d Ovid. Met. l. 2. Saevis compescuit ignibus ignes Jupiters fire drove out Phaetons and hee who macerateth here his fleshly members with the salt of Gods uncorrupt word and the cleansing grace of his spirit shall never putrefie in his sinnes nor feele the torment of the never dying worme The Philosophers make three partitions as it were in the soule of man the first they call the reasonable or seate of judgement the second the irascible or seat of affections the third the concupiscible or the seat of desires and lusts In the reasonable part they who knew nothing of the fall of man and originall corruption find little amisse but in the concupiscible they note 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something like superfluous moisture inclining to luxury in the irascible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 something like cold or rawnesse enclining to feare behold in my text a remedy for both fire for the one and salt for the other And that wee may not lose a sparke of this holy fire or a graine of this salt so soveraigne let us in a more exact division observe 1 Two kindes of seasoning 1 With fire 2 With salt 2 Two sorts of things to bee seasoned 1 Men without limitation Every 2 Sacrifices without exception All. God e Gen. 4.4 had respect unto Abel and his sacrifice first to Abel and then to his offering hee accepteth not the man for his sacrifice but the sacrifice for the mans sake First therefore of men and their salting with fire and after of sacrifices and their salting with salt Every one shall bee salted with fire Saint f Hieron in hunc locum Mire dictum est c. ille verè victima domini est qui corpus animam a vitus emundando Deo per amorem consecratur nec sale aspergitur sed igne consumitur quando non peccati tantum contagio pellitur sed praesentis vitae delectatio tollitur futurae conversationi totā mente suspiratur Jerome was much taken with this speech of our Saviour it is saith he an admirable saying That which is seasoned with salt is preserved from corruption of vermine that which is salted with fire loseth some of the substance with both the sacrifices of the old Law were seasoned such a sacrifice in the Gospell is hee who cleansing his body and soule from vice by love consecrateth himselfe to God who then it not onely sprinkled with salt but also consumed with fire when not onely the contagion of sinne is driven away but also all delight of this present life is taken away and wee sigh with our whole soule after our future conversation which shall bee with God and his Angels in heaven It is newes to heare of salting of men especially with fire an uncouth expression yet used by our Saviour to strike a deeper impression into the mindes of his hearers and verily the Metaphor is not so hard and strained as the duty required is harsh and difficult to our nature It went much against flesh and blood to heare of plucking out an eye or cutting off an hand or foot yet that is nothing in comparison to salting with fire salt draweth out the corrupt blood and superfluous moisture out of flesh but fire taketh away much of the substance thereof if not all For the fattest and best parts of all sacrifices were devoured by the flame of such things as were offered to God by fire If such a salting bee requisite wee must then not onely part with an eye or a hand or a foot but even with heart and head and whole body to be burned for the testimony of the Gospell if so the case stand that either we must leave our body behind us or wee leave Christ Such a salting is here prescribed by our high Priest as draweth out not onely corrupt moisture but consumeth much of the flesh also yea sometimes all that is not onely bereaveth us of superfluous vanities and sinfull pleasures but even of our chiefe comforts of life it selfe our friends our estates our honours yea sometimes our very bodies So hot is this fire so quicke is this salt Those that are redeemed by Christs blood must thinke nothing too deare for him who paid so deare for them rather than forfeit their faith and renounce the truth they must willingly lay all at stake for his sake who pawned not onely his humane body and soule but after a sort his divine person also to satisfie the justice of God for us Every one How farre this Every one extends and what this salting with fire signifieth the best Interpreters ancient and latter are not fully agreed Some restraine every one to the reprobate only and by fire understand hell-fire others to the elect onely and by fire understand the fire of Gods spirit or grace burning out as it were and consuming our naturall corruptions They who stand for the former interpretation conceive that Christ in these words yeeldeth a reason why hee said that hell-fire shall never bee quenched Ver. 48. for every one that is say they of the damned in hell shall bee salted with that fire the fire shall be to their bodies as salt is to flesh which keepeth it from putrefying O cruell mercy of hellish flames O saving destruction O preservation worse than perdition O fire eternally devouring and yet preserving its owne fuell O punishment bringing continuall torments to the damned and continuing their bodies and soules in it It is worse than death to be kept alive to eternall pains it is
delicate fruits they who overcome not eat not x Apoc. 2.17 the hidden Manna as they partake not of the Spouse her graces so neither have they any right or title to her titles They are no Temples but rather styes no dove-cotes but cages of uncleane birds no habitations for the holy Ghost but rather haunts of uncleane spirits They indeed live and move in God for out of him they cannot subsist but y Gal. 2.20 Neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me Rom. 8 9. 2 Cor. 6.16 God himselfe liveth and moveth in the godly God is in all places and abideth every where yet hee z Ephes 3.17 dwelleth onely in the hearts of true believers For they and they onely are the Temple of the living God Doctr. 4 Are. In the Romane Kalendar no Saints are entred till many miracles be voiced upon them after death but in Gods Register wee finde Saints in the Church on earth among the a Rom. 1.7 Romanes b 1 Cor. 1.2 Corinthians c Eph. 1.1 Ephesians d Phil. 1.1 Philippians at e Act. 9.32 Lydda and elsewhere But what Saints and how Saints by calling Saints by a holy profession and blamelesse conversation Saints by gratious acceptation of pious endeavours rather than of performances Saints by inchoation Saints by regeneration of grace Saints by daily renovation of the inward man Saints by devotion and dedication of themselves wholly to God Saints by inhabitation of the holy spirit in them which maketh them a holy Temple of the living God In this life we are f 1 Cor. 3.23 Gods for all things are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods in the life to come g Apo. 21.22 And I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God almighty and the Lambe are the Temple thereof God is ours In this life wee are Gods Temple but in the life to come God is g Apo. 21.22 And I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God almighty and the Lambe are the Temple thereof ours Now God dwelleth with us and is but slenderly entertained by us but there wee shall dwell with him and have fulnesse of all things yet without satiety or being cloyed therewith Doctr. 5 The Temple Not the Temples but the Temple Gen. 1.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As the learned Hebricians from the construction of the noune plurall with a verb singular as if you would say in Latine Dii or Numina creavit gather the trinity of persons in the unity of the divine nature so from the construction here of a singular adjunct with a subject plurall wee may inferre the plurality of the faithfull in the unity of the Church For wee that are many yet are truely one many graines one bread many sheepe one fold many members one body many branches one vine many private oratories or chaplets but one Temple The parts of the Catholike Church are so farre scattered and dissevered in place that they cannot make one materiall yet they are so neare joyned in affection and fast linked with the bonds of religion that they make but one spirituall Temple They are many soules and must needs have as many divers naturall bodies yet in regard they are all quickned guided and governed by the same spirit they make but one mysticall body whose head is in heaven and members dispersed over the earth Can unity bee divided If wee are rent in sunder by schisme and faction Christ his seamelesse coate cannot cover us all The Philosophers finde it in the naturall the States-men in the politicke and I pray God wee finde it not in the mysticall body of Christ h Cyp. de simplic prel A velle radium à sole divisionem lucis unitas non capit ab arbore frange ramum fructum germinare non poterit à fonte praecide rivum prorsus arescet That division tends to corruption and dissolution to death Plucke a beame if you can from the body of the sunne it will have no light breake a branch from the tree it will beare no fruit sever a river from the spring it will soone bee dryed up cut a member from the body it presently dyeth cast a pumice stone into the water and though it bee never so bigge while it remaines entire and the parts whole together it will swimme above water but breake it into pieces and every piece will sinke in like manner the Church and Common-wealth which are supported and as it were borne up above water by unity are drowned in perdition by discord dissention schisme and faction It is not possible that those things which are knit by a band should hold fast together after the band it selfe is broken How can a sinew hold steddy the joint if it bee sprayned or broken or cut in sunder Religion beloved brethren is the band of all society the strongest sinew of Church or Commonwealth God forbid there should bee any rupture in this band any sprayne in this sinew The husbandman hath sowed good seede cleane and picked in this Kingdome for more than threescore yeeres and it hath fructified exceedingly since the happy reformation of Religion in these parts O let no envious man sow upon it those tares which of late have sprung up in such abundance in our neighbour countries that they have almost choaked all the good wheat Let no roote of bitternesse spring up in our Paradise or if it bee sprung let authority or at least Christian charity plucke it up Wee are all one body let us all have the same minde towards God and endeavour to the utmost of our power to i Eph. 4 3. preserve the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace that our spirituall Jerusalem may resemble the old Byzantium the stones whereof were so matched and the wall built so uniformely that the whole City seemed to bee but one stone continued throughout It was the honour of the k Psal 122.3 Jerusalem is builded as a City that is compacted together old let it bee also of the new Jerusalem that it is a City at unity in it selfe Doctr. 6 I have held you thus long in the Porch let us now enter into the Temple Glorious things are spoken of you O ye chosen of God yee are tearmed vessels of honour lights of the world a chosen generation a royall priesthood a peculiar people a celestiall society yet nothing ever was or can be more spoken to Your endlesse comfort and superexcellent glory than that you are Children of the Father Members of the Sonne and Temples of the holy Ghost Seneca calleth the world Augustissimum Dei Templum a most magnificent Temple of God David the heaven Solomon the Church Saint Paul the Elect in the Church and in a sense not altogether improper we may tearme the world the Temple of the Church the Church the Temple of our bodies our bodies the Temples of our soules and our soules most peculiarly the Temples of the
cursed persons To cleare the meaning of our Saviour it will bee requisite briefly to declare first how man is capable of blessednesse at all secondly how farre in this life truly termed by St. Austin the region of death Blessednesse is a soveraigne attribute of God and as p Nyss hom de â—â—at Nyssen teacheth primarily and absolutely and eternally belongeth to him onely Creatures are blessed but in part derivatively and at the most from the terme of their creation Beauty first shineth in the living face and countenance that which is resembled in the image or picture is but a secondary or relative beauty in like manner saith hee the primary blessednesse is in God or to speake more properly is God himselfe the blessednesse which is in man made after Gods image is but a secondary blessednesse For as the image is such is his beauty and blessednesse but the image of God in man since his fall is much soiled and defaced and consequently his blessednesse is very imperfect and obscure Yet they that rubbe off the dust of earthly cares and dirt of sinne and by spirituall exercises brighten the graces of God in their soule as they are truly though not perfectly beautifull within so they may be truly though not absolutely stiled blessed even in this life 1. First because they are assured of Gods love and they see his countenance shine upon them which putteth more q Psal 4.7 gladnesse into their heart than is or can be in the heart of them whose corne and wine is increased For if it bee deservedly accounted the greatest happinesse of a subject to bee in continuall grace with his Prince what is it to bee a Favourite of the King of kings 2. Secondly because they have an r 1 Pet. 1.4 inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in the heavens for them A great heire though hee may sometimes pinch for maintenance and bee driven to hard exigents yet hee still solaceth himselfe with this hope it will bee better with mee and I shall one day come to my lands and such comfort have all Gods Saints in their greatest perplexities and extremities 3. Thirdly because they enjoy the peace of a good conscience which Solomon calleth a continuall feast And Saint Paul a cause of t 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience Rom. 8.28 triumph and joy 4. Fourthly because all things work together for their good and tend to their eternall happinesse The joyes of the wicked are grievous their pleasures are paine unto them but on the contrary the sorrowes of the righteous are joyous and the paines which they endure for Christ are pleasures unto them The gaines of the worldly are indeed losses unto them because they help on their damnation whereas the losses of the godly are gaine and advantage unto them because they further their salvation 5. Fifthly because they enjoy God wherein consisteth the happinesse of a man in some measure and degree even in this life For it cannot be denied but that devout Christians even whilest the soule resides in the body have a comfortable fruition of the Deity whose favour is better than life by faith in the heart by knowledge in the understanding by charity in the will by desire in the affections by sight in the creatures by hearing in the Word by taste in the Sacraments by feeling in the inward motions and operations of Gods Spirit which fill them with exceeding and unspeakable joy and comfort Saint u Apoc. 21. John setting forth the blessednesse of the triumphant Church and depainting the joyes of Heaven in golden colours describeth a City situate in Heaven whose temple is God and light the Lambe and walls Salvation and courts praise and streets gold and foundations gemmes and gates pearles twelve in number in a relation to the Lambes twelve Apostles Answerable to the gates in price though not in number are the steps up to them which our Saviour who is the way directeth us unto they are eight in number made of so many whole pearles that is divine Vertues 1. The first step is humility poore in spirit upon which when we stand we may easily get upon the next godly sorrow mourning for sinne none so apt to mourne for their sinnes and humble themselves under the mighty hand of God in sackcloth and ashes as the poore in spirit 2. When we are upon this step we readily get up upon the next which is tender compassion and meeknesse none so compassionate and meeke towards others when they slip into the mire of sinne as those who continually bewaile their fowle falls and wash their defiled soules with their teares 3. When we are upon this third step we may soone get up the fourth which is hungering and thirsting for righteousnesse for those who are most sensible of their owne wants and continually bewaile their corruptions and are compassionately affected towards others when they are overtaken with any temptation must needs hunger and thirst for righteousnesse both in themselves and others 4. When we are upon this fourth step we may soone climbe up to the other three Mercy the fifth Purity the sixth and Peace the seventh for they who eagerly pursue righteousnesse shall certainly meet with these three her companions Lastly they who have attained unto righteousnesse and are enamoured with her three companions Mercy Purity and Peace will suffer any thing for their sake and so ascend up the highest step of Christian perfection which is constant patience and zealous striving for the truth even unto bloud which is not only saved but cleansed also by being spilt for Christs sake The lowest greece or staire and the first step to Heaven is poverty in spirit that is as the Fathers generally interpret Humility which is the ground-colour of the soules beautifull images the graces of the spirit The ground-colours are darke and obscure yet except they be first laid the wooll or stuffe will not receive much lesse retaine the brighter and more beautifull Such is lowlinesse of minde of no great lustre and appearance in itselfe yet without it no grace or vertue will long keep colour and its beauty and therefore Christ first layes it saying Blessed are the Poore in spirit These poore in spirit are not to bee understood poore in spirituall graces such cannot come neere the price of the Kingdome of Heaven and therefore the spirit adviseth them under the type of the Church of * Apoc. 3.18 Laodicea to buy of him gold tryed in the fire that they may bee rich c. nor are they necessarily poore in state much lesse such as are poore in state onely for bare poverty yea though it bee voluntary is but a weake plea and giveth a man but a poore title to a Kingdome in Heaven Wee heare indeed in the Gospel of Lazarus the x Luke 16.22 Beggar in Heaven but wee finde him there in the bosome of rich Abraham to
wife embracing a stranger in bed so doth the wrath of God burne like fire and his jealousie breake out like a bright flame against such as Pigmalion-like entertaine an Idoll for him in the bed of their soule and commit fornication with it To commit fornication and to eat meat sacrificed unto Idols There is so neare affinity betwixt carnall and spirituall fornication that few defile their soules with the one but are defiled in body with the other as Jezebels scholars here who by eating meat sacrificed unto Idols were provoked to corporall uncleannesse One sinne as it breedeth so it feedeth another and as blindnesse of eyes was inflicted upon Elymas for his blindnesse of heart so God in his secret and just judgement here punished the Nicolaits spirituall with corporall fornication that as they provoked him to jealousie by familiarly and freely conversing with Idolaters so they were provoked to jealousie by their wives keeping company with adulterers Touching eating meats sacrificed unto Idols which the Spirit in this place and Saint k 1 Cor. 10.20 Paul and all the l Acts 15.20 Apostles in their decretall Epistle so strictly forbid you are to understand that the Christians in the Primitive Church in respect of their acquaintance and alliance with the heathen that dwelt among them did not sticke when they were invited by them to goe to their banquets and feasts which they kept in the Temples of their Idols when they sacrificed unto them and there they spent the remainder of such cates and wines as had beene offered to their Paynim gods The pretence which the Christians had for their resorting to these feasts was this that they knew the Idoll was nothing and therefore giving thankes to God for his creatures they did eat of all things without any scruple of conscience howsoever they had beene used and to whomsoever they had beene offered This our Saviour here reproveth the Thyatirians for and St. Paul the Corinthians in the place above alledged shewing that though the Idoll was nothing in it selfe yet sith the Gentiles did offer such things as were served-in at their Idols feast not to God but to Divels the Christians could not sit at the same tables with them rejoycing and feasting in the names of them but they must be partakers of their idolatry The maine argument he useth may bee thus reduced to forme They that eat of things offered unto Idols are partakers of the Divels table and are as it were in messe with him But none of Gods family may table with the Divell therefore all Christians ought to make conscience of accepting the heathens invitation to such feasts wherein they were to feed upon the Devils reliques Now that the servants of God may not meddle or make with the Divell or any of his instruments needs no proofe at all m 2 Cor. 6.14 For what Communion hath light with darkenesse or what fellowship hath Christ with Belial And that they that keepe gaudy dayes for the Divell and make merry with his reliques have fellowship with him the Apostle sheweth by the like examples They that eat of the sacramentall bread have their communion with Christ they that eat of the legall sacrifices are partakers of the Altar even so they that eat things offered unto Idols divide commons as it were with the Dâ—vell Thus have I glanced at all the parts of this Scripture but my principall aime was from the beginning at Jezebel set as a faire or rather foule marke in the midst of this verse I have somewhat against thee that thou sufferest Jezebel It is not onely evill to doe but also to suffer evill when it is in in our power to hinder it as I proved heretofore at large by arguments drawne 1. From the Law forbidding to plow with an Oxe and an Asse and punishing Idolaters with death 2. From the Gospell denying the service of two Masters and interdicting all fellowship and communion of light with darknesse or Christ with Belial 3. From the Spirits bill of enditement framed against the Angels of Pergamus and Thyatira for tolerating the Nicolaitans 4 From Gods threatning to cut off all such as sweare by him and by Malchim 5 From the Kings command in the parable to compell all the guests that were bid to come to his marriage feast 6. From the imputation which is laid by the Spirit upon many Kings of Israel and Judah for not taking away the high places 7. From the examples of Asa Josiah Ezechiah Nebuchadnezzar Constantine Jovian Theodosius and other religious Princes who by severe lawes restrained heresie and idolatry and constrained the true worship of God 8. From the verdict and depositions of the ancient Fathers Tertullian Cyprian Jerome Austine Leo Gregory Clemens Alexandrinus Epiphanius and Bernard who all strengthen the armes of the Magistrate and sharpen his sword against heretickes 9 From the lawes of the ancient Grecians Romanes and almost all the heathen who censured some way or other all innovation in religion and profanation of divine worship Lastly from the great danger of heresie which like a canker soone spreads over the whole body of the Church and if it bee not looked into killeth and that eternally thousands of soules breaketh the bands of nature and cutteth asunder all sinewes of humane society putteth enmity variance and implacable discords in families soweth seeds of sedition in the State reacheth dagges and daggers to subjects to assacinate the sacred persons of the Lords annointed layeth traynes in the deepe vaults of dislâ—yall hearts to blow up Parliaments and offer whole Kingdomes for an Holocaust It now remaineth that I appeach the Whore of Babylon of Jezebalisme and discover her filthy abominations and abominable filthinesse in the face of the sunne The Spirit here describeth Jezebel by three markes 1. Imposture She calleth her selfe a Prophetesse 2. Impurity She teacheth to commit fornication 3. Idolatry She alloweth eating meat sacrificed unto idols With these three crimes I dare more confidently charge the Romane Synagogue because with a whorish forehead shee seemeth rather to stand upon the justification of them than the deniall For among her religious practises shee reckoneth pious frauds as if shee verily beleeved that which heathen Varro writeth n Expedit falliâ—n religione civitates That it is expedient for men to be cheated in matter of religion And hereupon Vincentius Bellovacensis in the life of Saint Dominicke intitles one chapter De sanctâ ejus hypocrisi Of his holy hypocrisie And for impurity Casa the Archbishop of Beneventum layeth colours of eloquence upon that foule sinne which God punished in Sodome with fire and brimstone And for idolatry Gregory de Valentiâ the prime of the Schoole-men professedly pleads for it and endevours to prove it to bee lawfull out of the words of Saint Peter o 1 Pet. 4.3 Greg. de Val. de cult â—mag Quid attinebat ita detâ—rminatè cultus simulacrorum illicitos notarâ— si omnino nullos simulaâ—hrorum cultus
licitos esse censuisset When ye walked in lasciviousnesse lusts revellings banquettings and unlawfull and abominable idolatries What need saith hee Saint Peter deterre us from unlawfull idolatries if some kind of idolatry were not lawfull Good God! Idolatry lawfull holy hypocrisie pious frauds honest sodomy Did ever Nicolaus of Antiochia or Jezebel of Thyatira set abroach such impure and unsavoury doctrine did ever the Carpocratians who let the reines loose to all kinds of lewdnesse and villany maintaine more damnable positions But to keepe close to the patterne in my text and to draw a perfect picture of the Church of Rome by notes taken from Jezebel Imposture First Jezebel called her selfe a Prophetesse and doth not the Church of Rome usurpe the same title and boast of her Propheticke Spirit If any be ignorant hereof let him cast but a looke into * L. 4. c. 15. Dâ—odecima nota est lumen propheticum Bellarmine his booke of the notes of the Church there shall he see Lumen propheticum the light of prophesie drawne out in a faire and goodly character for the twelfth note of the Romane Church You see the first marke of Jezebel visible in the Church of Rome As Jezebel calleth her selfe a Prophetesse so the Church of Rome arrogateth to her selfe that supernaturall gift Impurity The second marke is as foule as the other is faire in shew She teacheth to commit fornication I would be loth to cast so foule an aspersion upon the Roman Church if the ancient Rubrick in the Canon law blushed any thing at these words q Distinct 34. Qui non habet uxorem loco illius concubinam debet habere He that hath not a wife ought to have a concubine in stead of her or the Pope his holinesse were ashamed to draw a revenue of many thousand Duckets by the yeere out of somewhat worse than Vespasian his tribute ex lotio But sith the Marozia of Sergius the Matildis of Gregory the s venth the Lucretia of Alexander the sixt the Magdalena of Leo the tenth the Constantia of Paul the third were as infamous as Ovids Corinna sith ancient Popes have erected stewes and later take toll of them at this day in Rome Vid. Wessâ—l Groniâ—g de indulgent Avennion and elsewhere sith ancienter Popes have dispensed with unnaturall lusts and the later with incestuous marriages sith the Riarius of Sixtus the fourth the Germanus of Julius the second the Hippolytus of Leo the tenth and Innocentius de monte of Julius the third gave but too much cause to Mantuan and other later Poets to proclaime to the world Sanctus ager scurris venerabilis ara cinoedis Servit honorandae divûm Ganymedibus aedes Sith their owne r L. method concord Ne admittantur sacra concubinariorum quos Deus magis odit quâ—m manifestarios incestus Wicelius professeth himselfe scandalized at the allowed concubines of Masse-Priests and the Germans in their Å¿ L. centum gravam Gervam Episcopi eorum Officiales non tantum sacerdotum tolerant concubinatum dummodo certa persolvatur pecunia sed Sacerdotes continentes qui absque concubinatu degunt concubinatus censum persolvere cogunt grievances put up this for one That the Bishops and their Officials doe not onely tolerate concubines in Priests so they pay a certaine rate for them but also constrain Priests who live continently and keepe no concubines to pay the former taxe sith Picus Mirandula in ep ad Leo. 10. and Cardinal Alliacus in his treatise of the reformation of the Church report of their Cels that they were become meere stewes sith Costerus yea and Cardinal Bellarmine teach in expresse words That it is a greater sinne in a Priest or Votary to marry than to commit fornication Est majus malum sic nubere quà m fornicari sith Panormitan their great Lawyer delivereth it for a ruled case t Panor extra de consang affin Ideo hodie ex simplici fornicatione clericus non deponitur That a Clergy man is not to be deposed for simple fornication nay sith the Councell of Toledo u Concil Tol. Potest admitti ad communionem qui concubinam habet modo non sit uxoratus admitteth such persons to the holy Communion who keepe a concubine so they bee not married no Papist can have an action of slaunder against me for charging their Church with somewhat more than bare toleration of simple fornication Verily * Espenc com in Tit. c. 1. Espenceus had good cause to affirme That more naughtinesse and filthinesse might bee learned out of Taxa camerae Apostolicae whereunto I adde Zanche's de Matrimonio and other Casuists than out of all the obscene satyres and epigrammes of profane Poets What Christian eares can endure that preface of Pope Gregory x Greg. extrav de jud c. 4. De adulterio aliis minoribus criminibus potest Episcopus cum Clericis post poenitentiam dispensare For adultery and other lesser sinnes the Bishop may dispence with a Priest after penance But I list not to bring to light other of their works of darknesse let the night cover her owne shame I proceed from Jezebels corporall to her spirituall whoredome wherein the Church of Rome exceedeth her For Jezebel taught onely that it was lawfull to keepe company and make merry with Idolaters and partake of their offerings but the Church of Rome partaketh with them in their Idoll-worship For albeit shee pretendeth that shee tendereth no religious service to the Idols of the Heathen the enemies of God but to the images of Saints and shrines of Martyrs this no way cleareth her from spirituall uncleannesse For it will not be allowed for a good plea in a disloyall wife to say that she gave no entertainement to any of her husbands enemies but onely made much of his dearest friends and admitted them into bed for his sake The adulterie in it selfe is foule with whomsoever it be committed and Idol-service in it selfe is abominable to whomsoever it be performed To pay the debt of conjugall love to any save her husband in a wife is adulterie and to tender divine honour to any save God is idolatrie Therefore if wee can bring any good proofe hereof that the Church of Rome doth this and avoweth the doing of it we doe her no wrong to call her the great Whore of whose cup of abominations whosoever drinke become so giddie that they fall before stockes and stones like men whose braines are intoxicated take images and pictures for men and women bring presents to them put costly apparell on them speake to them embrace and kisse them y Lactan. divin instit l. 2. Adorant insensibilia quisentiunt irrationabilia qui sapiunt exanima qui vivunt terrena qui oriuntur è coelo O sottish folly the living image of God falleth downe before dumb and dead pictures and statues men to whom God hath given sense and reason adore
of his discourse which was the promise of our Saviour I will ease you This indeed is Caput bonae spei the only Cape of good hope If these allusions seem defective and not so apposite as before I searched the land so now I will the sea for fitter and the fittest of all seem to mee to be these foure seas 1. Rubrum 2. Orientale 3. Mediterraneum 4. Pacificum The first because it ran all upon the bloudy passion of our Saviour I liken to the read sea The second I compare to the orientall Ocean not onely in respect of the immensity of matter in it depth of the authors judgment and rare pearles of wit and art but especially because Extulit Oceano caput aureus igniferum sol because out of this Easterne Ocean we saw the Sun of righteousnes Christ Jesus arising The third because it interveyned between the former the latter sea and passed through the whole continent in a manner of Divinity I call the Mediterranean or mid-land sea The fourth for the equall current of it but especially for the subject and matter resembleth mare del zur commonly called Pacificum for his whole discourse tended to this that though the life of a Christian be a sea yet that it is so calmed by Christs promise I will ease you that to every childe of God in the end it proves mare pacificum My peace I give unto you The still sea be not troubled nor feare Et si vultis accipere these judicious and methodicall Sermons foure in number are the foure rowes in Aarons breast-plate of judgement the jewels are their precious doctrines the imbossments of gold in which these jewels were set were their texts of Scripture Sed ubi spiritualis tabernaculi Å¿ Vincent Lerin advers haer Bezaliel qui pretiosas divini dogmatis gemmas exculperet fideliter adornaret sapienter adjiceret gratiam splendorem venustatem I know not how it comes to passe that as sometimes in Israel though there were much metall yet no Smith so at this time in this famous University though we have store of jewels yet there is none who will professe himself in this kind a Jeweller If the true reason hereof be the difficulty danger of this work wherein we fish as it were with a golden hook Cujus jactura nullâ piscium capturâ compensari potest then have all sorts of auditors great reason favourably to interpret their best endeavours who for their sake not only undertake so great a taske but hazzard so great a losse If the Rehearser acquit himself never so well what can he expect for all his pains but the bare commendation of a good memory but if he faile not only his memory but his judgement and discretion also are called in question In which consideration when authority first laid hands on mee I drew backe with all my might till the command for repeating being repeated againe and againe in the end the power of authority more prevailed with mee than the sense of mine owne infirmity Adamas ferrum à magnete tractum ad se rapit vehementiùs though the iron as Agricola observeth is drawn powerfully by the load-stone yet if a diamond be in place the load-stone loseth his force Artificiall memory as t Lib. 3. Rhet. ad Heren Constat artificiosa memoria ex locis imaginibus Cornificius saith consisteth of images and places We need not goe farre for them we have them both in my Text places Ver. 17. Thou shalt set it full of places for stones images most resplendent in the Verses following and very happy were I if as here I have the names so I had the naturall effects attributed to some of these jewels for 1. The Agat keepeth a man moist saith Dioscorides 2. The Beril sharpeneth the wit saith Ystella 3. The Carbuncle infuseth spirits saith Barraeus 4. The Chrysolite helpeth the breathing parts saith Rueus 5. The Emrald is good for the sight and memory saith Vincentius 6. The Onyx strengtheneth the whole body saith Albertus 7. The Saphir freeth a man from wrath and envie saith Tostatus but I perswade my self that many of these authors when they wrote these things had an Amethyst on their fingers the last jewell in the third row in Hebrew called ×”×ž×œ×—× from מלח u Buxtorf epit radic heb From a word signifying to dreame because they that weare it are much subject to dreaming Amethystus lapis pretiosus sic dictus quòd gestantibus eum somnia inducit and therefore leaving such incredulous relations to * Aben Ezra in Exod. 28.19 Rabbinicall and Philosophicall legends in a warrantable Scripture phrase I will pray to Almighty God to touch my tongue with a coale mentioned by the x Esay 6.6 7. Then flew one of the Seraphims unto me having a coale in his hand and he laid it upon my tongue Prophet Esay which S. Jerome interpreteth a Carbuncle that I may enflame the hearts of this great assembly with a zeale of his glory and both now whensoever I am to speak to the edification of his people so to furnish mee with materialls and assist mee in laying them that upon the true foundation Christ Jesus I may build not hay and stubble but gold silver and precious stones such as shine in my Text which I divide according to the foure rowes into foure parts THE FIRST ROW And in the first row a Ruby a Topaze and an Emrald WHether the Ruby fit not the modesty of the Speaker the Topaze quae sola gemmarum limam sentit his limate and polished stile the Emrald the fresh and green verdour of his sentences I leave to your learned censures sure I am the green and ruddy stones some of them generated in the red sea lively set forth the green wounds and bloudy passion of the worlds Redeemer the subject of his discourse The Ruby hath a perfect colour of flesh whence it is called in Latine Carneolus but with a lustre and resplendency farre above the nature of flesh What fitter embleme of the rayes of divine majesty shining in the flesh of our Saviour which was the argument of the Preachers first part This Ruby nubeculâ quâdam offundebatur as the naturall to wit in his passion and then changed colour and resembled the other two gems death displaying its colours in his flesh which he suffered to pay the wages of sinne for us which was the scope of his latter observations The imbossment of gold in which these gems of divine doctrine were set was his Text taken out of JOHN 11.50 It is expedient for us that one man should dye for the people The first Sermon preached on Good-friday by Master Ozborstone Student of Christ-Church BEhold I bring you a prophesie but of no Prophet I present you lying malice speaking truth unwittingly unwillingly and savage cruelty providing a salve to cure the wounds of all mankind Out of one fountain bitter and sweet out of
not to bee Gods instruments for their eternall as they have beene for their temporall life Doubtlesse z Pro. 1.8 Solomon who injoineth children to heare their fathers instruction and not to forsake the law of their mother because they shall be as an ornament of grace unto their head and chaines about their necke implieth in the duty of children to receive the duety of parents to give them such instructions and lawes What yeares fitter to lay the ground colour of vertue and true religion * Quint. instit orat l. 1. c. 1 Sapor quo nova imbuis diutissimè durat Horat. ep Quo semel est imbuta recens servabit odotem testa diu Naturâ tenacissimi sumus eorum quae rudibus annis imbibimus nec lanarum colores quibus simplex ille candor mutatus est elui possunt Quint. il than those which are the more capable thereof because as yet without any tincture at all when better forming the mould of the heart and affections than when it is softest and who rather to doe it than a father whose workmanship next after God the child is If it have any blemish or deformity of body bee it a scar in the face or stammering in the tongue or wrinesse in the necke or disproportion in any limbe what will not a tender hearted parent doe to take away such a blemish and rectifie such a distortion All children are borne with worser deformities in their soule than these imperfections are in their bodie and yet how few parents take them to heart Scarce one of an hundred attendeth upon Gods ordinance and useth the meanes therein prescribed to cure the naturall blindnesse of ignorance or to purge the dregges of concupiscence in them or to breake them of many ill customes and habites growing upon them If children stammer out good words or pronounce them lispingly their fathers and mothers are offended at it and rebuke them for it but if they speake plainly and distinctly their words though they bee never so rotten and unsavoury they make much of them for it Verba ne Alexandrinis quidem permittenda deliciis risu osculo excipiunt Hence it commeth to passe that they can speake ill before they can well speake and drinke-in many vices with their mothers milke and get such ill customes and habites which afterwards when they would they cannot leave because according to our true Proverbe That will never out of the flesh which is bread in the bone It would touch the quickest veines in the heart of a Christian Parent to heare what a grievous complaint divers children made against their fathers mothers in a Cyp. ser de lap Nos nihil fecimus nec derelicto cibo poculo Dei ad profanas contagiones sponte properavimus perdidit nos aliena perfidia parentes sensimus parricidas illi nobis Deum patrem ecclesiam matrē abnegarunt S. Cyprian his dayes Alas what have we done that wee are thus pitifully tormented The negligence or treachery or misguided zeale of our parents hath brought all this misery upon us wee perish through others default our fathers and mothers have proved our murderers they that gave us our naturall life bereaved us of a better by depriving us of the wholesome nourishment of the Word and giving us a scorpion in stead of fish they plunged us in the mire of all sensuall pleasures when they should have dipped us in the sacred Laver of regeneration they kept us from God our Father and the Church our Mother But I will not longer insist upon this observation because as I conceive the Spirit useth this speech not so much to set an edge upon our religious care diligence as give a backe to our patience only I propose Monica the mother of S. Austin as a pattern to all parents b Aug. confes l. 1. c. 11. Illa magis satagebat ut tu mihi pater esses quam ille conturbata erat propter baptismi dilationem quoniam sempiternam salutem meam chariùs parturiebat Shee endured saith hee greater sorrow and was longer in travell for my second birth than my first and much more rejoiced at it shee continued her fervent prayers day and night with sighes of griefe and teares of love for my conversion Sometimes shee sought to winne mee by sweet allurements sometimes by sharpe threats sometimes by force of argument sometimes by vehemency of passion she dealt with many learned Bishops to conferre with me to convince me of my errors whereof one sent her away with this comfort * Confes l. 2. c. 12. Fieri non potest ut filius tantarum lachrymarum pereat It is not possible that a child should miscarry for whom the mother hath taken so much thought and shed so many teares This care of planting religion in the hearts of children as ground new broken up and watering the roots of grace in them by frequent admonitons and instructions is assigned for the chiefe cause of those extraordinary blessings which God bestowed upon Abraham for so wee read c Gen. 18.17 Shall I hide from Abraham the things that I doe seeing he shall be a mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall bee blessed in him for I know him that hee will command his sonnes and his houshold after him that they shall keepe the way of the Lord to doe justice and judgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which hee hath spoken of him Now because such is the wantonnesse and stubbornnesse of most children that they cannot be taught any thing without fear of the rod the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in some sort appropriated to gentle corrections such as are used by Masters and Fathers in the nurturing and teaching their scholars and children Wherein God taketh a cleane contrary course to the custome of most earthly parents for they commonly beat those children whom they affect not and lay stripes upon them often without cause or mercy but they are most indulgent unto cocker up and never leave embracing and kissing their darlings God contrariwise scourgeth that childe most whom he most delighteth in Why taketh hee any pleasure to see his dearest childrens eyes swolne with weeping their cheekes blubbered with teares their flesh torne with rods Surely no for they that are in such a plight are rather ruefull spectacles of misery than amiable objects of love how then doth he that in love which he loveth not to doe Is not that elegant speech of Saint Austine a riddle Castigat quos amat non tamen amat Castigare Hee chasteneth whom he loves yet he loves not to chasten None at all for a Surgeon launceth the flesh of his dearest friend or brother in love yet he taketh no pleasure in launcing nor would doe it at all but to prevent the festring of the sore The best answer to the former objection will be to assigne the reasons why God in justice and in love cannot
the wrath of God and hee shall be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lamb and the smoak of their torments shall ascend for ever And they shall have no rest day nor night which worship the beast and his image and whosoever receiveth the print of his name I dare boldly say that none of you my Beloved have received any print of the beast yee are yet free from the least suspition of familiarity with the Whore of Babylon yee have kept your selves unspotted of Popery wherefore as yee tender your honour and reputation nay the salvation of your bodies and soules keep your selves still from Idols be zealous for Gods honour and hee will bee zealous for your safety abstaine from all appearance of that evill which the spirit of God ranketh with sorcery and witch-craft If in your travels you chance to see the heathenish superstitions and abominable idolatries of the Roman Church make this profitable use thereof let it incite you to compassionate the blindnesse and ignorance of so many silly soules nuzzled in superstition who verifie the speech of the Psalmist d Psal 115.8 They that worship idols are like unto them they have eyes and see not the wonderfull things of Gods Law they have eares and heare not the word of life they have hands and handle not the seales of grace they have feet and walke not in the wayes of Gods commandements What a lamentable thing is it to see the living image of God to fall downe before a dead and dumb picture for men endued with sense and reason to worship unreasonable and senslesse metall wise men to aske e Hosea 4.12 My people aske counsel at their stocks their staffe teacheth them for the spirit of whoredome hath caused them to erre and they have gone a whoring from under their God counsell of stocks and stones for them who in regard of their soules are nobly descended from Heaven to doe homage and performe religious services and devotions to the vilest and basest creatures upon the earth yea to dust and rottennesse How much are wee bound to render perpetuall thanks to God who hath opened our eyes that wee see the grossnesse of their superstition and hath presented unto us a lively image of himselfe drawne to the life in holy Scripture an image which to looke upon is not curiositie but dutie to embrace not spirituall uncleannesse but holy love to adore not idolatrie but religion to invocate not superstition but pietie If the Lord be God follow him Turne we the Rhetoricke of this text into Logicke and the Dilemma consisting of two suppositions into two doctrinall positions the points which I am to cleare to your understanding and presse upon your religious affections will be these 1. That there is but one true God either the Lord or Baal not both 2. That this one true God is alone to be worshipped either Baal must be followed or Jehovah not both But the Prophet will prove by miracle and the evidence of fire that Baal is not God nor to be worshipped the conclusion is therefore that Jehovah the God of Israel is the onely true God and he alone to be worshipped That there is but one true God is one of the first principles which all Christians are catechized in the Decalogue Lords prayer and Creed all three begin with one God to teach us 1. Religious worship of one God 2. Zealous devotion to one God 3. Assured confidence in one God At our first Metriculation if I may so speake into the Universitie of Christs Catholique Church wee are required to subscribe to these three prime verities 1. That there is a Deitie 1. Above all 2. Over all 3. In all 2. That this Deitie is one 3. That in this Unitie there is a Trinitie of persons We acknowledge 1. A Deitie against all Atheists 2. The Unitie of this Deitie against all Paynims 3. A Trinitie in this Unitie against all Jewes Mahumetans and Heretiques Through the whole old Testament this one note is sounded by everie voyce in the Quire We heare it in the Law Heare O Israel the Lord our God is f Deut. 6.4 one Lord. We heare it in the Psalmes g Psal 18.31 Who is God but the Lord We heare it in the Prophets h Hosea 13.4 Thou shalt know no God but mee for there is no Saviour besides me and i Mal. 2.10 Have we not all one father hath one not God created us The new Testament is as an eccho resounding the same note k Ephes 4.5 6. 1 Tim. 2.5 One Lord one faith one baptisme One God and father of all who is above all and through you all and in you all For there is one God and one Mediatour between God and men the man Christ Jesus And This is l John 17.3 life eternall to know thee the only true God and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ For although we read m Gen. 1.1 Elohim as if ye would say Gods in the plurall number yet the verb Bara is in the singular number to signifie the Trinitie in the Unitie howsoever we find the Lord n Gen. 19.24 rained upon Sodome Gomorrah brimstone fire from the Lord out of heaven and likewise in the Psalmes o Psal 110.1 The Lord said to my Lord yet S. Athanasius in his Creed resolveth us there are not more Gods or more Lords nor more eternals nor more incomprehensibles but one eternall and one in comprehensible In the mysterie of the Trinitie there is alius and alius not aliud and aliud on the contrarie in the mysterie of the incarnation of our Lord and Saviour there is not alius and alius but aliud and aliud in the one diversity of persons in one nature in the other diversity of natures in one person Sol quasi solus God is as Plato stileth him the Sunne of the invisible world and it is as cleare to the eye of reason that there is one God as to the eye of sense that there is one Sunne for God must be sovereigne and there cannot be more sovereignes The principles of Metaphysick laid together demonstrate this truth after this manner There is an infinite distance betweene something and nothing therefore the power which bringeth them together and maketh something nay all things of nothing must needs be infinite but there cannot be more infinite powers because either one of them should include the other and so the included must needs bee finite or not extend to the other and so it selfe not be infinite Out of naturall Philosophie such an argument is framed Whatsoever is either hath a cause of its being or not if it hath a cause of its being it cannot be the first cause if it have no cause of its being it must needs bee the cause of all causes For there cannot be an infinite processe from causes to causes which nature abhorres therefore wee must needs
have the name of songs of degrees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the history others from the ceremony a third sort from the musicke and the fourth from the matter and speciall contents of them 1. They who fetch it from the history affirme that these Psalmes were penned or at least repeated and sung by the b Ezra 7.4 Jewes Hamagnaloth in their ascending or comming up from Babylon into their owne Countrey and this conceit is the more probable because some of the Psalmes speake expressely of their returne from captivitie and most of them of Gods deliverance of his people from great dangers and troubles 2. They who deduce it from the sacred rite or ceremony used in the singing of them relate that the Priest sang these Psalmes Hamagnaloth or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the staires or steps as they marched up into the house of the Lord. 3. They who derive the name from the musicke report that these Psalmes were sung hamagnaloth that is with ascensions or raising up the voyce by degrees as it is said that the Levites praised God with a great voyce or a voyce on high 4. They who take it from the speciall contents of these c Chrysost in Psal 20. Psalmes contend that the verses of this Psalme are like the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rounds of Jacobs ladder on which we may ascend up to heaven as the Angels did upon that These reasons are in a kinde of sequence like notes in musick for because they are Psalmes full of speciall matter for instruction and comfort it is likely that the chiefe Musitian set them to an higher cliffe and because both tune as well as ditty were excellent it is probable that these were selected both to be sung by the Jewes in their ascending from Babylon as also by the Priests in their going up usually into the Temple Thus the title is cleared on all hands now the song it selfe admitteth a like partition to that of the Musitians in their pricked lessons which consist of 1. A ground 2. Running in division upon it Here the ground containes but three notes 1. The person he 2. The attribute watchfull providence or protection 3. The object his people Israel The division upon the first note is Jehovah vers 1. which was and which is and which is to come maker of heaven and earth vers 2. Upon the second thy keeper vers 3. thy preserver vers 7 8. thy protectour in danger vers 5. from danger vers 7. for the time present and future verse the last Upon the third Israel in generall vers 4. every one of Israel in particular vers 5. in body and soule vers 7. at home and abroad vers 8. Behold let your eye be upon him whose eye never sleepeth nor slumbreth observe your observer and preserver Behold in hee sovereigne majestie and omnipotent power in keepeth his gracious protection in Israel his peculiar affection in neither slumbreth nor sleepeth his continuall watchfulnesse Behold we have rung this larum bell heretofore to awake your attention and affection and now it giveth no uncertaine sound but what or whom are we to behold Hee In the next verse the Prophet nameth him Jehovah is thy keeper Of all names of God this may seeme to challenge a kinde of precedencie for it is taken from the essence of God and never in Scripture is attributed to any creature this is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Greekes Tetragrammaton the Latines Jove the Jewes Dread and Feare who when they meet with it in the old Testament adore it with silence or fill up the sentence with Adonai Lord onely as wee read in the Talmud the high Priest in his holy vestments when he entred into the Sanctum Sanctorum in the sacred action of blessing the people might pronounce it Every syllable in it is a mystery Je hath relation to the time future ho to the present vah to that which is past as some of the Rabbins observe And some Christian Interpreters conceive that S. John alludes thereunto in the description of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 d Apoc. 1.8 Hee which was and is and is to come The verb from whence the name is derived signifieth to be either to teach us that all beeing is from him or that he alone may simply absolutely be said to be who was from all eternity what hee is and shall be to all eternity what he was and is or to give us e Exod. 6.3 assurance of the performance of all his promises How shall wee doubt of any word that proceeds from his mouth whose name carrieth in it existence or performance of all his words or to insinuate in this name the best definition of his nature which is this an infinite spirit who is his owne being or who hath being from himselfe in himselfe and for himselfe All creatures were of him are in him and must bee for him God alone is of himselfe in himselfe and for himselfe Some wierdraw farther and make so small a line that it will scarce hold viz. that all the letters in this name are quiescent to intimate quietem in solo deo esse that the rest of the soule is onely in God according to that divine speech of S. Austine Domine fecisti nos ad te inquietum est cor nostrum donec perveniat ad te O Lord thou hast made us to or for thee and our heart will never be at rest till we come to thee That keepeth God keepeth us both immediately by himselfe and mediately by Angels men His Angels are our guardians in all our wayes Magistrates both ecclesiasticall and civill Parents Tutors and Masters keepers in time of peace and Generals Captaines and Souldiers in time of warre And if you demand with the Poet Quis custodes custodiet ipsos Who shall looke to the overseers of others who shall watch our watchmen and guard our guardians I answer this Custos Israelis in my text There are two sorts of keepers 1. Some keepe from suffering evill as a Guardian doth his Ward 2. Others keep from doing evill as the Lievtenant of the Tower or a Messenger to whose custody a prisoner is committed God is our keeper in both senses for he is both Custos protectionis and Custos conversationis he keepeth us from suffering evill by his protecting power and from doing evill by his restraining grace hee keepes us in prosperity that it corrupt us not in adversity that it conquer us not hee keepeth us in our conception from abortion in our birth from hurt in our life from manifold dangers in our death from eternall terrours Israel Israel as the learned distinguish is sometimes taken for Israel 1. According to the flesh only as unbeleeving Jewes 2. According to the spirit only as beleeving Gentiles 3. According to the flesh and spirit as the beleeving posterity of Jacob. For as Tertullian spake of Christian Souldiers and Panims
lately celebrated with a fit antheme Thou hast ascended up on high thou hast led captivitie captive the later may supply this present thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God may dwell among them Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits even the God of our salvation for on this day Christ received gifts for his Church the gifts of faith hope and charitie the gift of prayer and supplication the gift of healing and miracles the gift of prophecie the gift of tongues and the interpretation thereof Verily so many and so great are the benefits which the anniversary returne of this day presenteth to us that as if all the tongues upon the earth had not beene sufficient to utter them a supply of new tongues was sent from heaven to declare them in all languages The new Testament was drawne before and signed with Christs bloud on good Friday but c Ephes 4.30 Grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby yee are sealed to the day of redemption sealed first on this day by the holy spirit of God Christ made his last Will upon the crosse and thereby bequeathed unto us many faire legacies but this Will was not d 1 Cor. 12.4 5 8. There are differences of administrations but the same Lord and diversitie of gifts but the same spirit For to one is given by the same spirit the word of wisdome unto another the word of knowledge by the same spirit administred till this day for the e And 2 Cor. 3.8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious ministration is of the spirit Yea but had not the Apostles the spirit before this day did not our Lord breathe on them John 20.22 the day he rose at evening being the first day of the weeke saying Receive yee the holy Ghost The learned answer that they had indeed the spirit before but not in such a measure the holy Ghost was given before according to some ghostly power and invisible grace but was never sent before in a visible manner before they received him in breath now in fire before hee was f Calv. in Act Anteà respersi erant nunc plenè imbuti sprinkled but now powred on them before they received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before authority to discharge their function but now power to worke wonders before they had the smell now the substance g Aug. hom de Pent. Nunc ipsa substantia sacri defluxit unguenti cujus fragrantia totius orbis latitudo impleretur iterum adfuit hoc die fidelibus non per gratiam visitationis operationis sed per praesentiam majestatis of the celestiall oyntment was shed on them they heard of him before but now they saw and felt him 1. In their minds by infallible direction 2. In their tongues by the multiplicity of languages 3. In their hands by miraculous cures S. Austine truly observeth that before the Apostles on this day were indued with power from above they never strove for the Christian faith unto bloud when Satan winnowed them at Christs passion they all flew away like chaffe And though S. Peters faith failed not because it was supported by our Lords prayer Luke 22.32 yet his courage failed him in such sort that he was foyled by a silly damsell but after the holy Ghost descended upon him and the rest of the Apostles in the sound of a mightie rushing wind and in the likenesse of fierie cloven tongues they were filled with grace and enflamed with zeale and they mightily opposed all the enemies of the truth and made an open and noble profession thereof before the greatest Potentates of the world and sealed it with their bloud all of them save S. John who had that priviledge that hee should stay till Christ came glorifying the Lord of life by their valiant suffering of death for his names sake In regard of which manifold and powerfull effâ—cts of sending the spirit on this day which were no lesse seene in the flames of the Martyrs than in the fiery tongues that lighted on the Apostles the Church of Christ even from the beginning celebrated this festivity in most solemne manner and not so onely but within 300. yeares after Christs death the Fathers in the Councels of h Concil Elib c. 43. Cuncti diem Pentecostes celebrent qui non fecerit quasi novam heresem induxerit pumatur Eliberis mounted a canon thundring out the paine of heresie to all such as religiously kept it not If the Jewes celebrated an high feast in memory of the Law on this day first proclaimed on mount Sinai ought not we much more to solemnize it in memory of the Gospel now promulgated on mount Sion by new tongues sent from heaven If we dediâ—â—â— peculiar festivals to God the Father the Creatour and God the Sonne the Redeemer why should not God the holy Ghost the Sanctifier have a peculiar interest in our devotion S. i Serm. in die Pent. Si celebramus sanctorum solennia quanto magis ejus à quo habuerunt ut sancti essent quotquot fuerunt sancti si veneramur sanctificatos quanto magis sanctificatorem Bernard addeth another twist to this cord If we deservedly honour Saints with festivals how much more ought wee to honour him who maketh them Saints especially having so good a ground for it as is laid downe in this chapter and verse And when the day of Pentecost was come As a prologue to an act or an eeve to an holy day or the Parascheve to the Passeover or the beautifull gate to the Temple so is this preface to the ensuing narration it presenteth to our religious thoughts a three-fold concurrence 1. Of time 2. Of place 3. Of affections Upon one and the selfe same day when all the Apostles were met in one place and were of one minde the spirit of unity and love descendeth upon them Complementum legis Christus Evangelii spiritus As the descending of the Sonne was the complement of the Law so the sending of the spirit is the complement of the Gospel and as God sent his Sonne in the fulnesse of time so he sent the spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the fulnesse of the fiftieth day When the Apostles number was full and their desire and expectations full then the spirit came downe and filled their hearts with joy and their tongues with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Magnifica Dei facta the wonderfull works of God vers 11. That your thoughts rove not at uncertainties may it please you to pitch them upon foure circumstances 1. The time when 2. The persons who They. 3. The affection or disposition were with one accord 4. The place in one place 1. The time was solemne the day of Pentecost 2. The persons eminent the Apostles 3. Their disposition agreeable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. The place convenient in an
setteth them r Aug. serm de Pent. Tanquam duodecim radii solis seu totidem lampades veritatis totum mundum illuminantes forth twelve beames of the sunne of righteousnesse or twelve great torches of the truth enlightening the whole world They were as the twelve Patriarks of the new Testament to be consecrated as oecumenicall Pastours throughout all the earth they were as the ſ Exod. 15.27 twelve Wels of water in Elim from whence the chrystall streames of the water of life were to be derived into all parts they were as the twelve t Apoc. 12.1 starres in the crowne of the woman which was cloathed with the sunne and the moone under her feet and as the twelve u Apoc. 21.14 pretious stones in the foundation of the celestiall Jerusalem The present assembly in this upper roome was no other than a sacred Synod and in truth there can be no Synod where the Apostles or their successours are not present and Presidents For all assemblies how great soever of Lay-persons called together about ordering ecclesiasticall affaires without Bishops and Pastours are like to Polyphemus his vast body without an eye Monstrum horrendum informe ingens cui lumen ademptum But when the Apostles and their successours Bishops and Prelates and Doctours of the Church are assembled and all are of one accord and bend their endevours one way to settle peace and define truth Christ will make good his promise to be in the * Matt. 18.20 When two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the middest of them And middest of them and by his spirit to lead them into x John 16.13 When the spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth all truth With one accord All the ancient and later Interpreters accord in their note upon the word accord that Animorum unio concordia est optima dispositio ad recipiendum Spiritum sanctum that Unitie and concord is the best disposition of the minde preparation for the receiving of the holy Ghost The bones in Ezekiel were y Ezek. 37.7 8. joyned one to another and tyed with sinewes before the wind blew upon them and revived them so the members of Christ must bee joyned in love and coupled with the sinewes of charitable affections one towards another before the holy Spirit will enlive them Marke saith S. z Serm. de Temp. Membrum amputatum non sequitur spiritus cùm in corpore erat vivebat precisum amittit spiritum Austine in the naturall body how if a member bee cut off the soule presently leaveth it while it was united to the rest of the members it lived but as soone as ever it was severed it became a dead peece of flesh so it is in the mysticall body of Christ those who sever themselves by schisme or faction from the body and their fellow-members deprive themselves of the influence of the holy Spirit Peruse the records of the Church and you shall finde for the most part that faction hath bred heresie When discontented Church-men of eminent parts sided against their Bishops and Superiours Gods spirit left them and they became authours of damnable heresies This was Novatus his case after hee made a faction against Cyprian Donatus after hee made a faction against Meltiades Aerius after hee made a schisme against Eustatius and doe we not see it daily in our Separatists who no sooner leave our Church but the spirit of God quite leaveth them and they fall from Brownisme to Anabaptisme from Anabaptisme to Familisme and into what not The Church and Common-wealth like the * Plin. l. 2. nat hist c. 105. Lapis Tyrrhenus grandis innatat comminutus mergitur Lapis Tyrrhenus while they are whole swimme in all waters but if they be broken into factions or crumbled into sects schismes they will soone sinke if not drowne And so I passe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from their unanimitie of affection to their concurrence in place In one place The last circumstance is the place which was an upper chamber in Jerusalem The Apostles and Disciples stayed at Jerusalem after the ascension of our Lord partly in obedience to his a Acts 1.4 command which was not to depart out of Jerusalem till they were indued with power from above partly to fulfill the prophecie the b Esay 2.3 Law shall goe out of Sion and the word of God out of Jerusalem They kept all together out of love and for more safetie and they tooke an upper chamber that they might bee more private and retired or because in regard of the great confluence of people at this feast they could not hire the whole house or as Bernardinus conceiveth to teach us that the spirit of c Com. in Act. Ut discamus quod datur spiritus iis qui se ab imis attollunt rerū sublimium contemplatione ut cibo se oblectant God is given to such as raise up themselves from the earth and give themselves to the contemplation of high and heavenly mysteries Now to descend from this higher chamber and to come neare to you by some application of this text It will be to little purpose to heare of the Apostles preparation this day if wee prepare not our selves accordingly to discourse of their entertainment and receiving the holy Spirit if wee receive him not into our hearts It is a mockerie as Fulgentius hath it Ejus diem celebrare cujus lucem oderimus To keepe the day of the Spirit if wee hate his light If wee desire to celebrate the feast of the Spirit and by his grace worthily receive the Sacrament of Christ his flesh wee must imitate the Apostles and Disciples in each circumstance 1. Rely upon Gods promises by a lively faith of sending the spirit of his Sonne into our hearts and patiently expect the accomplishment of it many dayes as they did 2. Ascend into an upper chamber that is remove our selves as farre as wee can from the earth and set our affections upon those things that are above 3. Meet in one place that is the Church to frequent the house of God and when we are bid not to make excuses but to present our selves at the Lords boord 4. Not onely meet in one place but as the Apostles did with one accord to reconcile all differences among our selves and to purge out all gall of malice and in an holy sympathy of devotion to joyne sighs with sighs and hearts with hearts and hands with hands and lifting up all together with one accord sing Come holy Ghost so as this day is Pentecost in like manner this place shall be as the upper roome where they were assembled and we as the Apostles and Disciples and the Word which hath now beene preached unto us as the sound of that mightie rushing wind which filled that roome and after wee have worthily celebrated the feast of the Spirit and administred the
cognation or affinity 3. by nation or country 4. by love affection 1. common to all men the sons of Adam our father 2. speciall to all Christians the sons of the same mother the Church 1. Nature made Jacob and Esau brethren 2. Affinity our Lord and James brethren 3. Nation or country Peter and the Jewes brethren 4. Affection and obligation 1. Spirituall all Christians 2. Carnall and common all men brethren Thus the significations of brother in Scripture like the circles made by a stone cast into the water not only multiply but much enlarge themselves the first is a narrow circle about the stone the next fetcheth a bigger compasse the third a greater more capacious than it the fourth so large that it toucheth the bankes of the river in like manner the first signification of brethren is confined to one house nay to one bed and wombe the second extendeth it selfe to all of one family or linage the third to the whole nation or country the fourth and last to the utmost bounds of the earth No name so frequently occurreth in Scripture as this of brethren no love more often enforced than brotherly We need not goe farre for emblemes thereof b Plut. de amor fratr Plutarch hath found many in our body for wee have two eyes two eares two nostrills two hands two feet which are as hee termeth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brethren and twinne members formed out of like matter being of one shape one bignesse and serving to one and the selfe same use Nature her selfe kindleth the fire of brotherly love in our hearts and God by the blasts of his Spirit and the breath of his Ministers bloweth it continually yet in many it waxeth cold and in some it seemeth to bee quite extinguished Saint Paul prayed that the Philippians c Phil. 1.9 love might abound more and more Hee exhorteth the Hebrewes Let brotherly d Heb. 13.1 love continue but we need now-adaies to cast our exhortation into a new mold and say Let brotherly love begin in you For were it begun so many quarrells so many factions so many sects so many broiles so many law-suites would not be begun as we see every day set on foot Did we looke upon the badge of our livery which is mutuall e John 13.35 By this all men shall know that ye are my disciples if ye love one anther love we would cry shame of our selves for that which we see and heare every day such out-cries such railing such cursing such threatning such banding opprobrious speeches such challenges into the field and spilling the bloud of those for whom Christ shed his most precious bloud Is it not strange that they should fall foule one upon another who have bin both washed in the same laver of regeneration that they should thirst after one anothers bloud who drinke of the same cup of benediction that they should lift their hands up one against another for whom Christ spread his hands upon the crosse Let there be no f Gen. 13.8 falling out between mee and thee saith Abraham to Lot for wee are brethren Let mee presse you further touch you neerer to the quick Let there be no strife among you for you are members one of another nay which is more Yee are all members of Christ Jesus What members of Christ and spurne one at another members of Christ and buffet one another members of Christ and supplant one another members of Christ and devoure one another members of Christ and destroy one another It is true as Plutarch observeth that the neerer the tye is the fouler the breach As bodies that are but glewed together if they be severed or rent asunder they may be glewed as fast as ever they were but corpora continua as flesh and sinewes if any cut or rupture be made in them they cannot bee so joyned together againe but a scarre will remaine so those who are onely glewed together by some civill respects may fall out and fall in againe without any great impeachment to their reputation or former friendship but they who are tied together by nerves and sinewes of naturall or spirituall obligation and made one flesh or spirit together if there fall any breach between them it cannot be so fairely made up but that like the putting a new peece of cloth into an old garment the going about to piece or reconcile them maketh the rent worse When g Cic. famil ep l. 9. Noli pati litigâ—re fratres judiciis turpiâ—us conflictari Tully understood of a suit in law commenced between Quintus and M. Fabius hee earnestly wrote to Papirius to take up the matter g Cic. famil ep l. 9. Noli pati litigâ—re fratres judiciis turpiâ—us conflictari Suffer not saith hee brethren to implead one another For though suits about title of lands seem to be the fairest of any yet even these are foule among brethren wherefore my beloved brethren let us 1. Prevent all occasions of difference let there be no tindar of malice in our hearts ready to take fire upon the flying of the least sparke into it let us so root and ground our selves in love that no small offence may stirre us let us endeavour by all friendly offices so to endeare our selves to our brethren and so fasten all naturall and civill ties by religious obligations that we alwaies keep the h Ephes 4.3 unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace 2. If it cannot be but that offences will come and distract us if the Divell or his agents cast a fire-brand among us let us all runne presently to quench it let us imitate wise Mariners who as soone as they spie a leake spring in the ship stop it with all speed before it grow wider and endanger the drowning of the vessell 3. After the breach is made up and the wound closed and healed let us not rub upon the old sore according to the rule of i Coel. Rodig antiq lect l. 16. 19. Pythagoras Ignem gladio ne fodias let us not rake into the ashes or embers of the fire of contention lately put out As we pray that God may cast our sinnes so let us cast our brothers trespasses against us into the k Micah 7.19 bottome of the sea The Athenians as l Plut. lib. de fraterno amoâ—e Plutarch writeth tooke one day from the moneth of May and razed it out of all their Calenders because on that day Neptune and Minerva fell out one with another even so let us Christians much more bury those daies in perpetuall oblivion strike them out of our Almanacks in which any bloudy fray or bitter contention hath fallen among us For our Father is the God of peace our Saviour is the Prince of peace our Comforter is the Spirit of peace and love God who is m John 4.8 love and of his love hath begot us loveth nothing more