liue one by another and that for one man to fret out all others and to liue by himselfe is in humane That Charity in one sight regards the benefit of another with her owne That in Vsury vsually the benefit goes most if not all of one side yea sometimes the benefit of the one riseth out of the losse of the other Now where these things are there such lending is the cause of fretting and vndoing So it remaynes they must eyther grant what they first denyed that men may fret and vndoe one another or else they must condemne their lending which is so fretfull and iniurious In briefe let vs first worke vpon mens Iudgements by informing them and not presently at the first sight flye on their wills and affections to racke and force them Againe where there are great and little faults to bee amended let vs not bee more busie for the little then the great nor equally importune an amendment of all together For verily I beleeue good occasions of Reformation haue beene lost because too many faults haue beene brought together to amendment yea little and doubtfull faults and such as might be healed with a good construction haue beene brought in equally vpon the File with those of greater moment And what doth this course doe but magnifie the tediousnesse of the worke and increase the difficulty of it What doth it but bring this answere to vse That changes are dangerous and euills well setled are better then much vnsetling by much amending What doth it but bring a doubt that nothing will satisfie since faults seeme more to be sought then found But I wish that alwaies there might bee an aduised and temperate demand in matters of Reformation and though it bee vnaduisedly demanded yet there may be giuen a iust and solide answere and such as might regard to please God by mayntayning the purity of his Spouse the Church rather then to satisfie or vnsatisfie the indiscretions of men Let Gods cause euer be maintayned whether proposed or opposed by our owne enemies A third fault of indiscreet Zeale is That it is censorious and passeth easily into condemnation both of things persons Not to speake of indifferent things too often censured I say some men and some matters are condemned eyther not heard or not vnderstood and yet the Heathen Romanes vsed not to condemne any before hearing and much more wee that are Christians ought to know those things whereof wee affirme There are heights of Dispensation which meane vnderstandings reach not vnto and yet for such sometimes they despise dominion and speake euill of Dignities Christ is censured for being among the sicke yet a Physician for the waste of a precious Oyntment yet going to buriall So the blame which belongs to their owne incapacity they cast on that which deserueth commendation and that which is in it selfe good is by them called euill only because they are not wise enough to see the goodnesse of it Againe there are many good actions of good men that by censorious Zeale are taxed as euill and yet are only knowne in some out-side of probability but the inside wherein the life of the action lyes is not knowne The Iewes were in a rage with Peter for going to the Gentiles yet when the cause was knowne his fault was found to bee a Vertue The Reubenites Gadites and halfe Tribe of Manasseth were indicted of Apostasie for building an Altar but that which was thought to bee Apostasie was indeed a memoriall and meanes of cleaning to the true God Wherefore let vs not be hastie to iudge according to apparances but let vs take time to iudge righteous Iudgements For if thou iudge another rashly and falsly GOD shall iudge both him and thee truly He shall iudge ouer the matter againe and shall acquite him whome thou condemnest and shall comdemne thee for condemning him So thy iudgement of another shall returne vpon thy selfe And surely in this point Let euery good Conscience comfort it selfe in it selfe and passe little to be iudged by another in that which another knowes not for thou standest to the Iudgement Seat of the Highest Wisdome and Mercie and not to the Barre of humane Ignorance or Malice Fourthly indiscreet zeale is often in the flesh when it thinkes it is in the Spirit yet will not beleeue it and so will not be cured First I noted that by following heate to farre it outgoeth the Spirit and runs out into the flesh And now I obserue that it being gotten into the flesh it still beleeues it selfe to be spirituall and so in steed of retyring it fortifies it selfe there Hence it comes that many fleshly contentions are mayntayned by Scriptures yea Sermons and Scriptures are fitted to passions not passions to Scriptures So flesh and bloud fights carnally with spirituall Weapons yea which is fearefull turnes spirituall Weapons into carnall Malice sometime rayleth in Scripture Phrases and beateth his Enemies with Diuinity and thinkes it may speake what it will so it bee in the words of Scripture if it haue a seeming opposition of vice it cares not how angry it bee though indeed Pamphlets of that kind be no other then Libels and Sermons then Philippickes Yet this abuse of Diuinitie shall bee maintayned by Diuinitie and so she is miserably forced to iustifie and continue her owne wrongs But let Baal plead for himselfe let not God be forced to speake for Baal nor the Spirit for the flesh Adde not sinne vnto sinne It is a sinne great enough to come out of the Spirit into the flesh and to turne the busines of God into a Quarrell with men doe not adde this other sinne of abusing the spirituall Word vnto the mayntenance of thy fleshly contentions so by the Spirit to fight the battayles of his Enemy the flesh But to draw to a Conclusion Let all true Christians striue that their Workes bee the true Issues of Zeale maâ—ryed with Discretion for such Workes are the acceptable Salt and sauoury Sacrifices of Wise-men and not the loth some Sacrifices of Pooles Let them know that the fire of the Spirit the Mother of all true Zeale hath light in it aswell as heate and the heate should follow the light and not goe before it otherwise if the heate goe before the light or without it it may set on fire where it should but warme and so may breed a Confusion whereas the businesse of it is edification Let vs by ioyning the wisdome of Serpents with the innocencie of Doues become those excellent and perfect Stewards whom the Lord commends both for being wise and faithfull whose faithfulnesse giues meate to the Seruants and whose Wisedome doth it in season euen in fitnesse of manner measure and order And farre bee it from any sound Christian to put a Diuorce betweene that incomparable payre whose Marriage was in Heauen Zeale and Discretion or to thinke that one alone of them can bee a sufficient Parent of good Workes Much lesse let any man if hee find these separated by wretched Diuision seeke to bring them together in a more wretched Contention The parting of so louely a couple is lamentable but a malicious meeting of them is far more dolful For by their own good nature they incline to loue and vnity and therefore cursed is that Malice that changeth into Enmity the most excellent Vnity Hee that sets Vertues by the eares is as he that sets Brethren by the eares yea as one that makes Quarrels betweene Men and their Wiues Surely if the Peace-makers be blessed being the Children of the most High then such Quarrel-makers bee accursed and are the Children of the Lowest euen the most infernall spirit To conclude Let vs as the new borne sonnes of the Spirit lay aside all Maliciousnesse and lust of Contention which are the vices of the old man and expresse the true Vertues of a godly Nature receiued with the new man euen Charity Peace and Vnity Let not the difference of Education or Complexion or the vnkindly opposition of Zeale Discretion bee powerfull to a separation where the Vnity of one and the same Spirit hath made a coniunction But let the Spirit bee more followed leading vs to loue then the flesh prouoking to hatred And surely if wee bee not in loue wee are not in the Spirit for whosoeuer is in the Spirit is in loue yea hee is in loue with loue And as loue is commended by the Author of it which is the Spirit so it is also praysed by the excellent fruit of it called Edification for by loue the members of Christ cherish each other and by that cherishing increase in their growth Besides as Sion inwardly prospereth by loue so by the loue of Sion Babylon decayeth For the more Loue and Vnity in Sion the more strength the more strength in Sion the more terror yea the more ruin of BabyloÌ„ WheÌ„ the Banners are brought into the Vnion of an Army then they are terrible Cant. 6. And when Israel ioynes together in the Vnity of a Shoute then are the wals of Iericho most neere to their Downfall CYPRIAN de Vnitate Ecclesiae Pacificos esse oportet Dei filios corde mites sermone simplices affectione concordes fideliter sibi vnanimitatis nexibus coherentes Et post Erant perseuerantes omnes vnanimes in oratione ideo efficacibus precibus orabant ideo impetrare cum fiducia poterant quodcumque de Domini misericordia postularunt FINIS
THE DISEASES OF THE TIME Attended by their Remedies By FRANCIS ROVS LONDON Printed by William Stansby for Iohn Parker and are to be sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the three Pigeons 1622. TO THE RIGHT Worthy and my truely honorable Friend Sir Beniamin Rudyerd Knight SIR I Doubt not but diuers doe direct the Dedications of their Heauenly Labours according to earthly respects But incongruous and vntunable Dedications haue euer been harsh to my Iudgement and it hath grieued mee much when I haue seen a heauenly pâ—arle offred to the hand but trodden on by the foot of an earthy and sensuall Patron To auoyd this Incongruity I thought it best â—o dedicate a Worke that concernes the prosperity of the Church of Christ Iesus to a louer of the same Iesus of the same Church and the same Prosperity For such a one beares the face and presence of Iehosaphat which being seene incourageth a Prophet to speake and not seene dotâ— make him speechleâ—se And surely I doe but testifie the Truth when I say that by ancient and inward knowledge I haue beene assured of your loue vnâ—o Sion and your wâ—l-wishâ—â—g to the prosperity of Ierusalem And euen from this Root of Heauenly Loue doe I beleeue that our particular Friendship hath suckâ— most part of its nourishment which I thinke the rather because it hath beene hitherto durable whereas worldly Friendships do vsually alter with worldly Changes Wherefore as to a louer of Gods House I present vnto you these parcels of Purple and blue Silk which I haue consecrated toward the reparation of the Tabernacle And I desire that when you receiue these words from mee I may receiue Prayers from you that God will daily adde to the Beauty of his Church and that hee will prosper these and the like Workes that indeuour to increase it Neyther shall your Prayers be altogether vnrequited for I will offer vp my hearty desâ—res for your inward and outward Aduancement and that as you grow outwardly in the World you may grow inwardly in Christ Iesus For growth in Christ is the growth of a holy happinesse that shall flourish for euer But growth out of Christ is the growth of Fuell euen of an euer-burning but a neuer-dying Miserie Yours in the best that is in Christian affection Francis Rous. A Light in the Porch for him that enters I Confesse the World is very tedious in the Multiplicity of his corruptions and it would make a worke of the like tediousnesse if all the particulars of the one should become the contents of the other But I haue by diuers winnowings abated the Heap desiring to set some shape if not on the Matter for Vice cannot bee made handsome yet on the manner of handling it Ordinary Vices which haue ordinary if iust Cures I mostly omit leaue the World to practise on themselues that which they know already Other euils there are which for their insolent growth scorne to bee slaine by a Pen but like the Princes of Midian they call for Gideon himselfe euen the power of the Magistrate to fall on them These being generally referred to their proper cure yet if some bee touched for I haue heard of a Gyant slayne by a Sling and a stone they are incountred with the kindly Weapons of this Warfare euen Spirituall and not Carnall Another sort of Euils like the Plague by comming abroad infect farther become Documents of Vice and not Reproofes And I wish there were not another sort of Diseases like the same Sicknesse which taking the Ayre in a Worke of reproofe may strike backe to the heart of the same Worke and make it to dye like Ieremies Roll if it meete with that kind of humour which vseth to cast away all if any one thing differ from it In such a Case Addition may bring forth Substraction and a little more in the writing may cause a great deale lesse in the reading Lastly there are other Vices which heretofore in some Meditations I haue discouered for which the labour of Repetition may be saued But what sayth the Man of Exception Are not these the Times of Light and Purity and therefore how can there be many faults where there is so much Light Surely I willingly and thankfully acknowledge the purity of our Doctrine and am assured that in many it hath brought forth the purity of Heart and Life But I say euen because the Light is so cleere therefore doth sinne the more appeare and appearing is the more to be blamed For the more light the more Direction and the more Direction the more shame and sharper reproofe belongs to the strayer Againe the more light the more manifestation and the more manifestation the more sinnes appeare yea sinnes appeare the more sinfull So in some sense Light may be said to increase sinnes but that is not in their number but in the knowledge of the numberer Therefore must our Light discouer those to be 〈◊〉 which ancient Ignorance accounted to be none and the Manhood of a Christian mâ—â— tâ—e vp to that height of Vertuâ— which his child-hood could not reach vnto yea perchance did think it vnpossible or vncomely Againe where the Deuill hath lost much there hee labours much for the recouery of his losses and the Husbandmen not being stil awake prosperitie often inticing to seâ—urity the Enemy finds times to sow his tares so that the good dayes of Iosiah had matter of reproofe for the Prophet Zephaniah and the flourishing Church of Thyatira was taxed for a mixture of the Seruants of Iezabel Lastly it is an obseruation of secular Policie That all States with time gather rust and therfore by often reuiews they are to bee reduced to the first grounds of Vertue and Iustice which setled their Foundations This is no lesse true in the Church and if any doubt of it let the Church of Ephesus resolue him There was no long time betweene the planting of that Church and the receiuing of the Reuelation Of their first Estate Saint Paul a Master-workman in that Plantation testifieth that their Faith in Christ and Loue to the Saints made him incessantly to giue thankes to God for them And of their second Estate at the time of the Reuelation Christ restifieth that this Church was fallen from her first Loue and her first Workes Therefore the Church and euery member of the Church out of the experience of humane frailty by contiunall turnes should suspect and examine themselues to see what the Flesh hath gotten vpon the Spirit and so with Ephesus remembring from whence they are fallen returne and amend and doe the first Workes Thus it appeares that there is matter of reproofe euen in the purest Churches and if where there is matter there reproofe should bee denyed this were to encourage Diseases and to forbid Physicke Surely there is at this day a libertie yea a necessitie of reproouing and it dyed not wholly when Iohn Baptist dyed but the House of God
of Adam to bee voluntarily certain As for Necessity there is not a Necessitas actina and therefore if there bee any it must be Necessitas ociosa and surely it seemes idle to talke of an idle Necessitie For as causa sine qua non is called stolida causa so I see not why Necessitas per quam non may not bee called stolida Necessitas Seuenthly God is free to make Adam free euen to leaue him in an aequilibrious estate with a possibilitie to bee ouerâ—eighed by temptation is hee listed Hee might by his free-will haue taken the Tree of Life and Stability as well as the Tree of Death and Apostasie and so he was thereby as neere to Happinesse as to Miserie But that God should stablish him as he doth the Elect he was not bound for he that binds God must giue first vnto God now the Creature cannot giue first vnto the Creator for he must be before he can giue and euen that being which is mans first hee must first receiue from his Creator So is hee first a Debter in his very being and a man by one Debt cannot make title to another Eightly though God is said to harden yet hee doth it not by influence of corruption or supply of vice but God herein is most absolutely cleere for hee doth it by not-doing And if God doe not in sinne how can hee be accused of doing sinne if God will that Pharaoh shal be hardned let him but keep in his breath euen his blessed Spirit by which hearts of stone are made hearts of flesh and then fleâ—h will of it selfe and by the helpe of Satan turn into stone God is not the cause of sin no more then the Sunne is the cause of Ice The Sunne is properly a destroyer and dissoluer of Ice and God is a dissoluer of the sinfull workes of the Deuill But when the Sun withdrawes his beames by his nightly and winterly departures the cold hardens the waters which the Sunne forsakes So where God hideth his face and contracts his spirit there temptation hardens He doth not put the hardnes into the heart but hee leaues the heart and hath nothing to doe with it and then where God doth nothing to soften there will quickly enough be done by sinne and Satan to harden Therefore when we are hardened Let vs rather complaine that God doth nothing then that he doth something in vs. Ninthly though the Children of Adam be necessarily sinfull yet they may be iustly punished because necessary sinning came from voluntary sinning For this necessitie of sinning came not from God but from their owne Father but this free-will brought vpon them this necessity And surely if they had beene in his place they would likewise haue done the same for Adams Children would haue beene no better then their Father the print no better then the stampe When God gaue a power of leauing a righteous seede hee may call into Iudgement the seed which he finds vnrighteous and he may be angry with sinne wheresoeuer he findes it because he gaue a power that there shold bee no sinne at all Wee doe the same and allow the same and yet question what we doe and allow In a Snake and Toade we make no question whither they could chuse but bee venomous but without any question we kill them only for being venomous neyther may we excuse it because we made not their venome for neyther did God make the venome of sinne And surely sinne is like poison in the sight of God and wee may rather wonder how his mercy can indure it in so many then how his Iustice should punish it in any A Traytors children are impouerished by Lawes for the offence of his parents and when wee see an oppressor murderer or extortioner we exspect it as a necessary piece of Diuine Iustice That his third heire inioy not his estate This is the summe God is pure and righteous Man is sinfull without Gods partaking a Righteous God may punish sinfull men whose sin he hath nothing to doe with but he findes it contrary and offensiue to him Lastly in these and the like depthes of God let no man wade aboue his stature Euery Man should vnderstand according to sobriety that is according to the measure which he contayneth Let not the Homer teare it selfe in pieces by stretching it selfe to be an Ephah but let euery member for the members are different aspire to his proper fulnesse and though they reach not to such Mysteries they may conuerse in poynts of more absolute necessity to saluation and larger edification as our graffing into Christ Iesus by Faith and our growth in him by Loue the stablishing of our hearts in the hope suggested by the earnest and testimonie of the sanctifying Spirit These things are maine generall and absolutely necessary imployments and concernments in our way to Heauen and in them especially must wee spend our meditations And for the rest no doubt to their vnderstanders they are full of edification yet all men cannot ceceiue them Therefore let euery man receiue that which is meet for his measure according to that which hee hath not according to that which he hath not nor cannot haue Miserable it is to see as I haue seene it a man possessed by pieces of this secret rather then possessing them and so vttering his distractions rather then resolutions that one might pitty his amazement sooner then conceiue his meaning But I haue shewed you a more excellent way CHAP. VIII Of the small health and great vnhealthinesse of the Romish Church wherein most conspicuous is a Wenne growen to the likenesse of a Head WHosoeuer doth consideratly behold the mayne body of the Romish Church may finde therein three sorts of Religion The first may bee called Religio Curialis the Religion of the Court which is indeed nothing else but Pollicy paraphrasing Diuinity and an vnkindly froward Alchymie by which grosse things are drawne out of pure things the flesh is limbecked out of the Spirit and worldly pompe and supremacie is extracted out of a doctrine that preacheth sufferings patience and humility An inconsequent conclusion and farre vasutable to the premisses and like though contrary to the ancient Centones wherein out of the Heathen workes of Virgill is gathered the Christian story of our Sauiours incarnation and passion But these contrarily though in the same way out of the Christian and Spirituall Doctrine of the Gospell draw a Heathen Secular and Carnall Empire euen a perfect story of a Man of sinne and of one that sitteth as God in the Temple of God The Pope hath gotten a Monopoly of of heauen and earth and none may trade in eyther without some tribute to his supremacie Thus is the Scripture brought to speake the Language of Babell by a most cruell racke it is forced to deny it selfe Christ is set on worke to set vp Antichrist And whereas it is openly sayd Vos autem non sic by distinctions metaphors and
inferences as loudly though not so truly it shall say Vos autem sic You shall not be as the kings of the Nations sayth one Text yet other Texts with their glosses will bring it so about that the Kings of the Nations shall be but your Vassals and shall be metamorphosed into Brutes euen Aspes and Basiliskes for Popes to tread on And hither tend the mayn endeuors of diuers later Popes euen to settle a principality by the Gospell Yea and when the Gospell would not helpe them for it will not they striue to establish it by warres by tumults by treasons things meerly repugnant and forbidden by the Gospell So necessary it is that the Pope must bee the Head of the World that he had rather kill the body then not be the Head So is hee a true and liuely Antichrist euen an opposite to Christ For Christ being the true Head of the Church gaue himselfe to death for the life of his body But this Man being as his owne say but a Ministeriall head giueth the body of Christ to distraction for the life of this imaginary Head On this Theme are spent the huge labours of Baronius And to this end is the Popes authoritie ouer Princes maintayned by Bellarmine and others and to this end is the doctrine of Treasons against excommunicated Princes taught printed by many of the Popes Parisites so that euery Protestant Prince may truly be called a Confessor for he confesseth the Christian Religion with the danger of his life Which transcendence both of pride and sinne though the Court of Rome maintayne yet because some members of the same Church haue confuted and disclaymed it I may the more truely call it a different kind of Religion Another sort shall bee termed Religio Theologorum the Religion of the Diuines or that doctrine which is ordinarily taught or acknowledged for the sauing of learned souls of this also there are three degrees The first is Crassa doctrina the grosser or lesse refined doctrine which was both more common more grosse before Luther and yet hath large entertaynment among â—hem such is the doctrine of Merits of condignity of Predestination ex praeuisis operibus of worshipping of Images with the worship due to the sampler c. which assertions if any would farther learne he shall finde them in the confutation of their owne â—eater Writers who among the Hereticâ—es confute also their fellows grosser opinions And those confuters are those which teach the second degree of Doctrine which is Doctrina limita a refined kind of Doctrine conceiued by the genuine interpretation of Scriptures yea inforced by the euident light of the Word and approcheth very neere to that of the Reformed so that though not out of one yet out of all our Doctrine may bee proued and deduced And this is that which yeelds the matter of such workes as the Catholick Apologie Papa non Papa and such other which by the Romanists haue confuted the Romane Religion A third degree is Doctrina Spiritus aut Conscientia the Doctrine of the Spirit or Conscience which is when Men taught by the Spirit of God or enforced by the Light of their own Conscience confesse their owne vnworthinesse and wholly extoll as the surest Refuge the mercy of God in the merits of Christ. This former is frequently seen in Barnard Thomas Campensis and others that liued in that Church Men as I hope sanctified and taught by the Spirit Others also by the terror or conuiction of their Conscience haue acknowledged the same as Stephan Gardiner at his end and Bellarmine when after disputation of merits he confesseth this affiance in Gods mercy to bee the safest rest of the soule And no doubt when men are approching by death to the barre of a supreme Iustice before a perfect God with pure eyes if they haue any portion of the Spirit they abhorre themselues with Iob and doe so see and feare their own corruption that they cannot find rest but in perfect merits and a perfect satisfaction So that I doubt not but of these there is a reserued number euen a number reserued by Gods election which is truly Ecclesia Electorum hauing washed their robes white in the bloud of the Lambe A third and last sort of Religion may be called Doctrina Idiotarum euen that Doctrine which is taught to the common people apprehended and accordingly practised by them as sufficient to saue their ignorant Soules This is generally a Religion very neere fitted to brute beasts for it teacheth them to be saued in ignorance and by beleeuing as the Church beleeues Which is vpon the matter by beleeuing that which they know not and by not knowing what they beleeue So is the Soule which should bee the principall agent in Religion left out in Religion and lyes like the first Chaos voyd and full of darknesse And the body is principally instructed Accordingly they are taught by Images Pictures more then by preaching as men that haue fiue senses without but no sense within They must confesse they must doe penance they must say Creeds and Aue-Maries in Latine and those they must mistake for prayers they must worship Images and adore the Sacrament They must bring their bodies to the Church leaue behind their vnderstandings for in their Liturgie there is only worke for the eare and none through the eare for the vnderstaÌ„ding And as this teaching of Religion is brutish so is the practice Mechanical They worke it out with their limbes and the poore Soule stands by and knowes not a iot of the busines The mouth speakes the knee bowes the hand mooues on the beades or knocks vpon the breast the eye lookes vp the eare heares and yet the soule and spirit which giue the onely life and beeing to the worship that God a Spirit loues knowes nothing vnderstands nothing what the body is doing And as for the Images the poore wretches must needs commit flat Idolatry for I neuer heard that any of their Doctors did perfectly teach their common people to distinguish between Doulia and Latria but as one of their owne sayth If they worship them with all their heart they thinke they haue done it excellently Surely it cannot be conceiued that the ignorant Papists who haue no Commandement against Images should in this point doe better then the Iewes who had a plaine Commandement against them But the Iewes fell to Idolatrie against an euident Commandement yet these Doctors think that their people shall be held from Idolatrie onely by a distinction Surely they little regard the infirmity of miserable Man fallen into so great an Ignorance and Corruption that he is apt to learne Lyes of a stock and to be inflamed with Images vnder euery greene â—ree Neither doe they consider the strictnesse of Ielousy which in the Lord Almightie is as perfect and infinite as himselfe Now perfect Iealousie cannot abide to haue a known Adulterer come neere to his spouse neither can it indure to haue
8.14 c. I will summe all vp in the words of Saint Peter 1.1.1 We are elect by God the Father through the sanctification of the Spirit and the sprinkling of the bloud of Iesus Christ. But this thou wilt say thou doubtest not but confessest that the Trinitie by Christs humanity saueth vs but thou sayst that this Saluation is imparted to vs by the Ministery and the defect of the Preacher may stop the benefit of the hearer I confesse indeed if his defect be in preaching then there is an abatement of the benefit of hearing but if his preaching be sound and sufficient Gods Word soundly vttered by him is able to saue vs without the Preachers Goodnesse or Sanctification The Preacher is Vehiculum verbi verbum is vehiculum Christi Christus est fons vitae The Preacher brings the Word and the Word brings Christ and Christ brings Saluation If now the heart of man doe but open that the King of Glorie may enter in saluation is come into his house And surely if the spirit within open when the Word without knockes or Christ in the Word there is an entrance of Life eternall So is it brought to this narrow poynt That when the Spirit meets the Word in the heart and opens to it Christ enters in the Word and there is but this left to say That the Spirit hath so tyed himselfe to the goodnesse of the Minister that he will not open the heart of the hearer except he heare a holy Teacher But this is a fearfull saying and worthie of detestation This is to tye the free Spirit of God vnto Man whose libertie Christ hath taught saying The Spirit bloweth where it listeth This were to make the Spirit to stand in need of his owne graces and to bee beholding to the grace of the speaker to giue grace to the hearer This were to bring Christians not to receiue their saluation from the fulnesse of Christ but partly from the fulnesse of the Minister Then it might be truly sayd that Paul were something and Apollo something whereas St Paul sayth they were nothing but God onely that gaue the increase Then might we be baptized into the name of Paul for from whom wee receiue the grace of Baptisme in his Name may wee receiue Baptisme This were to ouerthrow St Pauls Assertion and to breake his golden chayne in pieces who sayth that Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by preaching for by this noueltie hearing doth not saue vs except the Preacher bee also saued so where Paul tyeth Faith to hearing these haue vntyed Faith from hearing except the Preachers goodnesse tye it vp againe But what did our Sauiour Christ meane to cause his Disciples to heare the Scribes and Pharises in Moses chayre whom he termed Hypocrites and on whom he heaped his woes Either Christ commanded them to doe that which was vnprofitable or these men vainly condemne that which Christ commanded And Paul reioyceth that Christ was preched by enuious and persecuting Preachers and I hope persecutors are not likely to be sanctified Surely it is the beauty of Christ Iesus that rauisheth a soule touched and warmed by the Spirit It is not essentiall to the moouing of Loue that the Painter himselfe be handsome so his picture bee euident and liuely and the comlinesse of the person represented admirable If the Painter be vnlike his owne picture the beauty of the picture disgraceth his vglinesse but remaynes louely it selfe Who is there that if he were condemned to death as wee are all naturally to death eternall but would gladly receiue a pardon from the king by the hands of a condemned man Surely the eye of a man touched by the Spirit doth looke more stedily on the happinesse of the message then the miserie of the Messenger For God sends sometimes a message of happinesse by a Messenger that is miserable as hee sent blessings to Israel by the mouth of cursed Balaam This is true though it bee obiected that vnsanctified men are not called and not being called are not sent For Iudas a worse then Balaam had the calling of an Apostle was ordayned to preach and to cast out deuils Mark 3.14 and obtayned part of the Ministerie Act. 1.17 God giueth not his gifts in vaine but they are for the edification of the Church So is the gift of Prophecie 1. Cor. 14.4 Eph. 4.12 yet many that haue this gift of edification shall be commanded to a So it seemes the promise of shining like the stars for conuersion of soules Dan. 12.3 hath an implicite condition of godlinesse which hath the promises of this life and that to come 1. Tim 4.8 depart for want of Sanctification Though they loose the priuate benefit of the gift of God yet God will not loose the fruit of his owne gift which hee gaue for the publike Wherfore let not the Preacher looke into the soule of his Hearer to find his saluation in his Hearers conuersion for hee shall not find it there but in his owne Soule if there he find Sanctification Neither let the Hearer looke into the soule of the Preacher in his Sanctification to finde his owne Saluation for hee shall not find it there but in his owne Soule if therein he can find Faith and Holinesse Surely the dayes of persecution had not this wantonnesse of Hearing but they reioyced as the Spouse in the Canticles by any meanes to heare newes of him whom their Soule loued But whereto doth all this tend To giue encouragement to a wicked Ministery God forbid I wish verily that all the gatherers of Saints were Saints and that those who expresse a scandalous b Tit. 1.7 S. Gregor de past cura lib. 1.2 Hooker lib. 5. see 81. contrariety to Sanctification were remoued if incorrigible For no doubt though such may quicken some by their doctrine yet they kill others by their example and a man-killer is not fit to be a Minister whose very Trade is Saluation Besides though a Ministers goodnesse giue not the esse of Saluation yet no doubt it giues the melius esse For a Minister that liues well is a double Preacher hee preacheth both by words and workes so he preacheth with a witnesse and his life is a witnessing or Martyrdome of his doctrine But the good Preacher and euill Liuer is but a single Preacher yea he labors by his Life to confute his Doctrine Now where the Spirit speaketh twice by Illumination and Sanctification he is more heard then where he speaketh but once Surely the liues of Saints and especially of Ministers are the liuely bookes of the Ignorant and in them should they reade the Characters of Vertue and Holinesse But my purpose is this First that God alone may haue the glory of our Saluation and that with the Virgin our spirits may reioyce in God our Sauiour It is the singer of the Spirit issuing from Christ Iesus that giues life to the Letter and brings the aduantage of the New Couenant
to be the footstoole of the spirit But if thou abide constant in the spirit thereby art possessor of thy owne soule and a commander of things transitorie thy sowing to the spirit shall make thee to reape of the spirit and thy Haruest shall bee life euerlasting Thou shalt also stop the mouthes of them that speake euill of Dignities and for the abuse would take away the vse Thou shalt bee called a builder of Sion and a repayrer of the breaches of Ierusalem But on the otherside They that sow to the flesh shall of the flesh reape corruption They that build vp a Babell shal be stricken with confusion They that partake with the Harlot in her sinnes shall partake with her in her plagues and * Reuâ— 18 7 8. one of her chiefe sinnes is Pride and her plagues are Mourning Famine Death and Fire Their soules shall be banished from the Tree of Life which is the extremity of hunger They shall be sent into weeping and gnashing of teeth which is the most bitter mourning and to the second Death where the Worme dyeth not and the fire neuer shall be quenched CHAP. XIII A double fault in teaching one that fretteth the whole flesh the other nourisheth the proud flesh one thinkes to saue men by angring despising them the other will not saue them rather then offend them OVr Sauiour CHRIST sayth Wâ— to you when all men speake well of you and Saint Paul sayth I seeke to please all that by all meanes I may winne some In these two Sayings there is a shew of Contrariety between the Master and the Seruant Christ accounts them accursed with whom all are pleased and yet Paul striues to please all though those with whom all are pleased bee accursed And according to the misinterpretation of these two places haue risen two Errours the one of them that thinke their Ministery neuer well set on worke or sufficiently confirmed vntill it hath stirred vp the whole World against them The other of them that thinke it the chiefe discretion of their Ministery not to speake any thing which by a reproofe of euident sins may hazard the loue of any of their hearers But Verity being euer the Companion of Vnity and Christ and Paul speaking both infallible Verity they are certainly at Vnity Now this Verity like a right Line will plainly shew the crookednes of both these Errours and this Vnity will condemne their contentiousnesse that fal out about the defence of Errours Christ speakes not to this end that the Ministers should labour for hatred or striue that men should speake ill of them but he sayth That the ill speeches of men are ordinary consequents of a faithfull Minister yea a faithfull man Hee doth not tell the Ministers that they should follow hatred but he tels the Ministers that hatred will follow them Hee doth not set the Minister by the eares with the World but hee saith the World will take the Minister by the eares Hee is of Saint Pauls minde that he would haue the Minister in all indifferent things to please all but yet he denounceth that though such courses be taken of pleasing yet the very exercise of the Ministery will mostly get displeasure And heereof no better example then Paul himselfe with whom though striuing to please all yet the most of all were much displeased So that both these Sayings may bee harmoniously contracted into one sentence Striue to please all that you profit some yet striuing to please all be ye sure that some will bee displeased For the Seed of the Serpent will hate Seed of the Woman and the World that only loues her own will hate them that are not of the World But that we wander not on eyther hand into these diuers Errors let vs find out the right paths of truth euen the true Lawes of pleasing and displeasing In pleasing let this bee the first Law That Ministers are to propose a good end in their pleasing they must not please men to their damnation nor please them to Gods dishonour nor for their owne vaine glory but they must please them to saue them and to bring them to serue and glorifie their Creator Secondly they must please them in things lawfull euen in things good or at least indifferent They may not please them in euill that good may come thereof neyther may they sooth them in their sinnes which is to edifie the Kindome of Satan but if there bee at anytime a conniuencie at no hand may there be a combination nor incouragement it must bee for the more profit euen to watch a better oportunity And still be it prouided that no perfect peace by any meanes be made with sinne Aboue all let a Minister striue to please in holinesse of life for the beautie thereof hath often stolne away the hearts of the gain-sayers and gained their affections euen against their wils Yea let his Gesture haue an amiable comelinesse befitting one that is a Man of God And such is a graue Humility euen without Pride or Basenes not carnally but spiritually both confident and humble Thirdly let them please them in the wisdome and discretion of their Dispensation Let them giue the great Ones their Honours and Respects let Festus be called Noble and let King Agrippa haue his commendations of beleeuing the Prophets for this is not to giue Titles or to call good euill but to speake truth and to giue honour to whom honour belongeth A wicked Man may be outwardly honorable and thou mayst not rob him without because hee is alreadie robbed within Thou mayst cast him downe by spirituall iudgement but not degrade him of his temporall dignity thy weapons are spirituall not carnall and thy Masters Kingdome is not of this World If thou doe otherwise rayle on the Pope as much as thou wilt thou art surely a limbe of him for he robs men wholy of temporall honour for spirituall offences and thou robbest them in part Eccl. 12.12 But thou shalt prooue thy selfe an ill Fisher for soules if thou wilt not bayte thy doctrine or behauiour with that sweetnesse or ceremony by which the fish will byte the better and be the sooner caught In summe know the estate of thy Flocke in particular to bee to euery one a seuerall Man in thy priuate conuersation and still one man in the publike Be that to euery Man by which thou mayest winne him most For thou must bee all for gaine a true Worldling but of another World Thirdly in indifferent things as lawfull and decent recreations allow them yea sometimes therein ioyne with them God that filleth vs with food and gladnesse allowes these blessings especially to his blessed ones the rest haue it by stealth Let vs not make the gate of Heauen narrower then God hath made it neyther let vs make Religion a ghastly thing by vnnecessary opposing of Nature for the businesse of Religion is not to crosse Nature created but Nature corrupted euen our Corruption not our
be ouer cleanly But let the best striue to please the best and I know there are wits of that excellency that can giue sufficient delight by cleane and cleare conceits euen such as flowe from pure wit and borrow no bastardly generation of the filth and mudde of the basenesse shame and corruption of Man And I know there are also neat and noble Auditors that relish wit best by it selfe when it is not farded nor tainted with the mixture of slime and drosse And I doe not see but the chaste wife of one whose friendship while he liued might haue brought me into suspicion of partialitie but now he is gone against my will doth leaue mee at liberty to commend him hath beene as faire and amiable as the Venus of many deckt vp with the colours and payntings of lustfull and incendiary wit A second Fault in representatiue speaking is the vsing of holy words to prophane ends or in a prophane manner Oathes are sacred prayers are holy and the name of God glorious yet they must serue the recreation of Man and man must be delighted though God be blasphemed A fearfull thing it is for Man to delight himselfe in that wherein God is dishonoured If there were no other thing but the abuse of Gods name of sentences of Scripture and such holy things this were enough to make Playes of this nature and such are most abhominable to euery good Christian. For I tell thee this That if thou art a Christian thou art like vnto Lot and thy righteous Soule will be vexed with the dishonour of thy God Now if thou art vexed therewith how canst thou goe to bee vexed Canst thou take delight in vexation and wilt thou giue money for it And if thou beest not vexed then art thou no good Christian. Againe if thou be a Christian God is thy best friend and wilt thou go where thou thinkest thy best friend shall bee abused and thou must hold thy peace Take heed for Gods sake that thou take not delight there wher thou shouldest bee vexed and take heed for thy owne sake that if thou must needs be vexed that thou goe not to seeke vexation I might here adde for a third Fault â—he scandalous deprauations and detractions which diminish the honour of some to adde to the pleasure of others yea beyond this the doctrines rather then reproofes of vices the prodigall expence of time the stuffe of which life it selfe consists but I wish the former faults were first amended and the amendment of those would best giue encouragement to a farther cure Sure I am as the case now stands that generally these Theaters are the Churches of Satan and doe by the meanes fore-mentioned edifie vnto damnation While the Preacher workes for Heauen the Player playes for his working is playing for Hell and many Soules receiue there those lessons of Darkenesse which leade them stedily vnto eternall darknesse And if exhortations may not preuaile I wish Authoritie would and that at least the same course may bee taken for the Scene that is for the Presse that nothing might be acted but that which first had beene examined that so if this Representation shall be thought fit to remayne yet at least the foule spots and corruptions of it may be cleared that so it may bee restored to all possible beauty and become if not profitable yet infinitely lesse hurtfull CHAP. XV. Of the Pharises Disease the Loue of vppermost seats THE Emphasis lies in the word Loue for to loue prelation out of a tumour of the Flesh is a sinne but to receiue it humbly being iustly giuen may be a worke of the Spirit Our Sauiour consutes not superiority and inferiority he is not the Author of confusion but of order but that which he condemnes is the lifting vp of the heart in pride and the proud hearts lifting vp of the body in place If therefore thou seest the Disease learne also the Remedies and if thou art not yet prouided I will helpe thee a few In the First place That thou mayst cure thy selfe by contraries by true iudgement and humility grow first into patience and after into liking with the lower place Let thy iudgement tell thee that there is no oddes in the place but in the minde for the same place doth please or displease as the minde likes or dislikes it I haue knowen a man take a pleasure if not a pride in sitting lowest if thou doe the same thou shalt find the place will do nothing to thee to discontent thee Secondly Know that the true height of a man is eminence in vertue and an especiall vertue is humility and humility is very much expressed in a good digestion of inferiority So if thou art high in vertue sitting lowest thou sittest highest yea by sitting low thou dost sit high for humility doth exalt thee Surely the true excellence of man is vertue guided by knowledge and indeed otherwise it is no vertue for wherein a man is more excellent then other creatures therein is one man more excellent then another man By how much a man riseth aboue the creatures toward the Creator by so much is his excellence increased and so farre euery man excelleth another as he goes beyond another in the Image of God Therefore striue thou for that which makes thee inwardly higher though thou be outwardly lower for if in this thou excellest thy Neighbour thou art higher then he in worth though lower in place So a pearle is richer then gold though in a pendent the gold sit aboue the pearle And we say often that a valiant short man is a taller man then a long coward so that he is aboue him in worth though below him in stature And no lesse is it thought that a consequent Lady is preferred before an antecedent Vsher. Thirdly Know that this present order is but an orderly confusion inforced by necessity sorting with the confused misery of the fal of Man It was not the appointment of Gods first Creation that Princes should goe on foot and Fooles ride on horsebacke but by Adams fall rich folly takes place of poore wisdome The heart of Man is deceitfull and inward excellence cannot truly be iudged therefore outward stuffe for the present is vsually the dull touchstone of eminence and where there can be no better the worst must serue But here meets me a case that is vanity it selfe and vexation of spirit Two men there are of equall meanes the one liues like a Man and a Christian and equalls his meanes by his exspences in hospitality seruices of his Countrie reliefe of the poore The other hee is neyther Man nor Christian doth nothing for God nor his CouÌ„trie but by sacriledge oppression and extortion robbes God and the Countrie yet by this no goodnesse yea by his wickednesse he trebleth his goods and farre surmounteth the other Now let any man tell me which of these should bee taken for the better Man whether the worse man or the better Surely
that thou mayst be glad to bâ—e cured of this Vice by the contrariety of the Spirit see wherein the contrariety consists The surfet of wine makes darknesse in thy Vnderstanding and the Spirit light It makes brutish sensuality strong and heauy vpon the Will and affections and the Spirit exalts and purifies the Will by a cleane and celestiall grace Now if I leaue it to thy choyce whether thou wilt come out of Darknesse into Light from a seruile sensuality a true equality with Beasts into the glorious liberty of holy cleane and heauenly Minds I know thou wilt tell mee that there is no doubt in this choyce but that Light is farre better then Darknesse and a heauenly Mind is farre better then a sensuall Then doe but beleeue what thou sayest and doe what thou beleeuest and thou art cured Preferre in thy workes as well as thy words the light of the Deity shining on thy Soule before the darknesse of excesse sent vp from the grosse vapors of Moysture Bee thou farre more glad to haue thoughts of Purity thoughts of Felicity thoughts of Eternity then the beastly imaginations of filthy Lusts inflamed in thy Soule by the Lake of Brimstone that lies in thy Bowels Let neither the colour nor the tast of Wine be thought a fit counterpoyse to those excellencies of the Spirit but when Wine would tempt thee by them call him Mocker and tell him that pleasure is but a pretence but darknesse sensuality and eternall death is the drift of it Tell it thou hast a Light in thee more precious then the light of the Sunne the Father of Wine yea more excellent then any Creature and thou wilt not change this excellent light into darknesse for so small a price as a sight and a tast Say thou hast a quickening and purifying flame of heauenly Fire sent downe into thy heart and thou wilt not quench it for the World by the inundation of a brutifying Moysture And hauing chased away this tempting Ammonite that will not make peace with thee but by pulling out thy best eye retire into the Light and Vertue of the Spirit inflame it blowe it kindle it by Meditation by Prayer by Reading and the increase of this Light and Vertue wiâ— increase in thee loâ—hing of the Darknesse and Beastlinesse of excesse The Light of the Spirit and the graces therof will bee so highly precious in thy sight that thou wilt wonder that any man should goe downe from that Heauen of the Soule into the darke and miry Dungeons of a stupiâ—ied sightlesse filthy sensuall and sencelesse Mind Thou wilt admire that a man should wilfully put out so glorious a Lampe as the Light of the Spirit and that a man should quench that fire by which in some measure he is partaker of the Diuine Nature and all this to get into him the nature habite and condition of a Swine an Ape a Goat or a Lyon Wherefore take heed to the new Creature of God created in knowledge and holinesse which is farre more glorious then all the old Creatures Let that by all meanes bee preferred in its dignitie and supremacie let all Creatures serue it for so the Creator allowes but let it selfe bee brought in bondage to nothing Let it be kept bright and pure for the seruice and pleasure of the Creator who therefore beautified Man with a likenesse to his owne Heart that his heart might take pleasure in that likenesse And if the chiefe pleasure which God takes on Earth be this Beauty of Man then man himselfe should take his chiefest pleasure in prâ—â—eruing and adorning this Beauty Otherwise hee is an vngratefull Wretch not caâ—ing to gratifie the Creator with the pleasure of his owne Gifts and hee is an ignorant Foole for not taking a chiefe pleasure in that wherein the highest Wisdome is especially delighted But whosoeuer is the truly begotten sonne of that supreme Wisedome cannot but loue and cherish the Wisdome and Graces of the inner Man wherein stands the beautifull Image and likenesse of the most glorious Father And whosoeuer loueth and cherisheth it cannot but hate and abhominate that Excesse that casts blacknesse and filth on so bright rauishing and celestiall a Beauty Neyther doth here the Spirit of God bid vs to our losse but which is the second Remedie euen in those things wherein Wine is desirable the Spirit offers vs aduantage If the Wine bee pleasant to the eye the sights of the Spirit are farre more excellent for they are such as eye hath not seene The Spirit of God reueales sights vnvtterable and our soules anoynted with that eye-salue Looke into heauen and see him that is inuisible Glorious and delectable are the Contemplations of the Saints euen such that they grow rapt by the sights which they behold and are loth to come downe from that high Tabor of Vision into the low and base valley of outward and grosse conuersation The light of the body is the eye but the eye of Man is the Soule The Spirituall sight is mans most excellent Sight and Spirituall obiects are his most excellent obiects When we see outward things wee see but that which beasts may see with vs but when we see Spirituall things we see that which none but Men and Angels can see wherefore be thou filled with the Spirit wherby thou mayst see the true and kindly obiects of Men and Angels and dwell not in thy outward eies wherin Beasts may excell thee By thy inward sight thou shalt in some measure behold God thy chiefe Felicity the loue of God in Christ Iesus giuen for our Ransome the admirable Graces and Vertues of a holy and sanctifying Spirit In summe thou shalt see such diuine Sights that thou wilt not giue thy Contemplations for a Kingdome For at what price will a heauenly Soule sell his Meditations a Gregor in ps pâ—niâ— 4. Sion is by interpretation a Watch-towre and Sion is a type of the Church The Church of God stands on a Watch-towre and it sees more then seuen men on a Watch-towre and as her height is exalted on the towre of contemplation so her foundation is setled beneath on the Rocke of stability So as shee sees farre by her height shee is also stable by her foundation which amounts to this That Sion is a Watch-towre that cannot be remooued from her Contemplation Now if this heauenly Sight bee the most excellent Sight of Man dwell no longer in thy outward eies to behold eyther the colour spright or motion of Wine or of any earthly obiect But in the stedfast Watch-towre of diuine Contemplation behold sights worthy of a Creature indued with a heauenly Soule Scorne to dwell in an equality with Beasts when thou mayst come into a parity with Angels and if thou wilt needs looke on Wine Looke on the new Wine of the kingdome of Heauen which Christ now drinkes aboue and for which hee hath left the old hauing professed that hee will drinke no more of it But of this