coldly but with sharpnesse and seueritie reproouing such as flatter themselues in their owne deuices not obscurely and in riddles but so plainly as all may vnderstand as Oecolompadius noteth vpon this place Pauls charge to Titus is in effect no lesse when hee biddeth him rebuke with all l Tit. 2.15 authoritie It behoues a Minister to do his dutie not sluggishly and remisly or with any feare but to teach and thunder out reproofes freely when need requireth saith m Theod. in hunc loc Oportet eum no ignauè ac remissè nec cum vlla timiditate hoc facere sed cum libertate docere increpare vbi opus est Theodoret. There are some sins quoth n Chrysost hom 5. in Tit. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostome which must be expressed euen with a kinde of commanding authoritie The Adulterer the Fornicator the couetous Mammonist must thus bee handled Nor doth the Apostle say simply rebuke with authoritie but with all authority to shew that he would haue Titus to exercise authority ouer these with libertie and freedome To Precepts of this kind we may adde a cloud of witnesses The time would faile me to tell of Phinehas Eliah Michaiah Nehemiah Ieremiah and all the seruants of God of old of whose seruice in this kinde done vpon rebellious sinners himselfe saith * Hos 6.5 I haue hewen them by the Prophets I haue slaine them by the words of my mouth What boldnesse our Lord himself vsed towards the Pharisies and others when need required the holy Euangelists plentifully shew How oft did hee rebuke the Pharisies to their heads charging them with dunsticall blindnesse deepe and cursed hypocrisie denouncing many woes against them calling them hypocrites a generation of Vipers children of hell and of the Diuell Zealous Paule was neuer more mad in persecuting the Church from Christ then after his conuersion hee was bold and fierce in a godly māner against all that would seeke to turne men frō Christ Obserue his carriage towards Elimas the Sorcerer labouring to turne Sergius Paulus Deputie of Paphos from the o Acts 13. faith The Text noteth of Paul that he was filled with the holy Ghost Verse 9. meaning with zeale euen as a vessell filled with strong liquor till it be readie to burst againe that he set his eyes vpon him with so much fiercenesse as if hee meant to run through him And then after this lightning he addeth that terrible thunder Verse 10. O full of all subtiltie and mischiefe thou child of the diuell thou enemie of all righteousnesse wilt thou not ceasse to peruert the right wayes of the Lord Nor was he thus full of the Spirit of the Lord and of iudgement to declare vnto cursed Elimas his transgressions onely but euen to reproue Peter himselfe withstanding him to the face and blaming him before a great multitude of Peters owne Disciples when hee saw and found that he walked not vprightly according to the truth of the p Gal. 2.10 Baronius withstands Paul as stifly as Paul doth Peter and dares maintaine that Peter was not to bee blamed Annal tom 1. Anno Chri. 51 num 39. And in his Index to that Tome it is said of Peter Ab omni culpa redditur immunu in contentione quam habuit cum Paulo Meaning in that discourse in the place before cited Gospell Indeed I confesse that S. Paul did cunningly watch his time to do it when none of the Colledge of Cardinals could be by to resist him But yet for all this it was well for Paul that he died before Baronius liued or else the Cardinall would haue schooled him and taught him better manners although it should haue bene with putting the lie vpon the holy Ghost himselfe for being so bold with their god Peter It was the resolution of an Heathen Diuine q Seneca Audebo peccanti mala sua ostendere vitia eius si non excidero inhibebe I will be so bold to tell an offender his faults if I lop not his vices I will yet inhihite them And shall this bee thought too much for a Christian and a Diuine too to attempt If thou loue the Lord Iesus with all thine heart saith deuout S. Bernard r Sup. Cant. Ser. 44 Etenim si amas Dominum Iesum toto corde nunquid si videris eius iniurias contemptumque ferre vllatenus aequo animo poteru◠c. canst thou possibly beare the iniuries and contempts put vpon him with any patience wilt thou not rather as one rapt with the spirit of reuenge heate and like a mightie man that shouteth by reason of wine bestirre thy selfe and say with Dauid Psal 119.139 My zeale hath consumed me because mine enemies haue forgotten thy word Good Dauid if he espied any that were enemies to God hee would neuer make daintie vpon any politique respects to proclaime himselfe an enemie to them Do not I saith he hate them ô Lord that hate thee Psal 139. and am not I grieued with those that rise vp against thee Yea I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them mine enemies As if hee should say saith ſ Hom. 9. in Ezek. Pensa quantum te diligo qui tuorum hostiū contra me excitare inimicitias non pertimesco c. Gregorie Consider ô Lord how much I loue thee that am not afraid for thy sake to stirre vp all the emnitie of thine enemies against my selfe by hating them for hating thee And is it now the part of a foole to do the like If we more seriously think on this dutie Who or what should hinder any seruant of God from such a boldnesse Good men they will not dislike but praise him for it Wicked men themselues loue to see the whip cling close to other mens backs and can applaud oft times that boldnesse which draweth bloud at euery stroake so themselues bee not touched This conuinceth the world that boldnesse of it selfe is good and would be relished of all if some were not too bad It is onely mens badnesse that maketh boldnesse bad Corrupt stomacks turne the best meate into ill humours The Cooke cannot helpe this but the Physitian As for such as without cause take offence hereat why should they be feared What for their power of hurting Nay God will protect his seruants till they haue done their worke from all the fat bulls of Basan be their necks neuer so strong their rage and furie neuer so great Witnesse his protection of Eliah from Iezabel of Christ and the Apostles from the bloudie Pharisies and so of all his seruants till his counsell was fulfilled and their taske performed Till then there is no way to let in enemies vpon a man but by his owne cowardise If he stand it out he is safe if he yeeld he perisheth That of the Lord to t Ier. 1. Ieremie is a pregnant proofe of this seeming Paradox When the Lord sent
him to thunder out heauy plagues against a rebellious people that were come to that height of impietie that they durst oppose the Prophets and persecute them for telling them of their sinnes and denouncing iudgements against them God forewarnes and armes him thus Verse 17. Thou therefore gird vp thy loines and arise and speake vnto them all that I command thee be not dismayed at their faces lest I confound thee before them Verse 18. For behold I haue made thee this day a defenced Citie and an iron pillar and brazen walls against the whole land against the Kings of Iudah against the Princes thereof against the Priests thereof and against the people of the land And they shall fight against thee Verse 19. but they shall not preuaile against thee for I am with thee saith the Lord to deliuer thee It is a certaine truth that neuer faileth all the malice of men can neuer stop the mouth of any seruant of God till God himselfe conclude him and till the euent make it appeare that God biddeth him leaue worke Then Act. 18.9.10 malice may remoue him when God hath discharged him but yet then also God rewardeth his seruice out of the very malice of his enemies Their malice shall bee made his stirrope by which he getteth vp to a greater good then they tooke away from him Should the Lords seruant refraine from boldnesse to please men Nay if he once seeke to please men farewell the seruice of Christ And it is a most foolish part to go about to please them who please not u Greg. ibid. vt supra val de est stultum si illis placere quaerimus quos non placere domino scimus God Nor doth he pay so deare commonly for any indiscretion as for his affecting and studie to please men by blanching their faults and soothing them vp Is a man afraid of purchasing their ill opinion and displeasure It is indeed an vndeniable truth that Truth begets hatred but if we therefore refraine reprouing because wee feare the rising of mens passions and hatred to scoffe and deride vs we seeke onely our selues not God x Greg. moral lib. 2â— Si ab increpatione idcirco reticemus quia contra nos insurgere derisionis odia formidamus non iam lucra dei sed nostra quaerimus Such toyes as these are no more able to moue a true Zealot then the barking of euery curre the Lion-like Mastiue as hee passeth the street It was one speciall Inditement of Ierusalem that they bent their tongues like bowes for lies but they were not valiant for the truth y Ier. 9.3 And well it might Men commend boldnesse in a Souldier mettle in a horse eagernesse in doggs spirit in any thing and shall they themselues be coÌ„mended for Cowards Cowards for the truth Cowards for Gods truth O damnable sheepishnesse Such dull Asses z Exod. 13.13 deserue rather to haue their necks broken then to bee consecrated as holy to the Lord. Fearefulnesse Bashfulnesse and Luke-warmnesse the opposites to true boldnesse are all most odious to God How hath hee forbidden and threatned fearefulnesse in his cause euen in case of life it selfe a Luk. 12.4 and vowed to turne such white-liuer'd Christians out among doggs and b Reu. 21 8. helhounds Bashfulnesse is condemned as a detestable offence for which the Sauiour of the world will then bee ashamed of such as are now ashamed of him when they expect greatest Grace and c Luk 9.26 honour from him And more ouer this such Vespertilian Professors in the meane time commonly susteyne most shame on all sides and such night-birds do more prouoke others to wonder at and chatter against and prey vpon them None receiue more discouragements from others then they that are most timorous themselues None in more danger none more liable to what they feare then they who step back and giue ground to their feares And as for Lukewarme Gospellers let Laodicea speak for all what entertainment they are like to find at the hands of Christ they are sure to be d Reu 3 15.16 spewed out of his mouth as too loathsome a morsell for his stomacke to beare I know that it is hard for a man truely bold not to bee censured for a peeuish cholerique harsh intollerable fellow scarce well in his wits But if this may deterre him Christ should haue left work when the Pharisees thought he stood in need of an exorcist or Diuel-Catcher accounting him mad and that he spake in his fury he knew not what and were so confident in their mad opinion that they thought they dealt wisely in appealing to himselfe Say wee not well that thou art a Samaritane c Ioh. 8. â—8 and hast a Diuell For Good men to bee called mad and their doctrine madnesse among mad men is no strange thing He that is giddy thinkes euery thing runs round And they that haue changed piety for pollicy God for gould can easily giue sentence that a zealous reprouer is out of his wits least the world conclude them guilty of what they are as loath to be known as they are vnwilling to forgoe It becomes Gods Seruants not to thinke what wicked men will say if they be bold as what God will say if they be cold Mad mens tongues are no slander With mee it is a small matter to bee iudged of you or of mans iudgement saith one that was accused of this disgraced f 1 Cor. 4.3 Grace To such let vs answer with the Apostle g 2 Cor. 5.13 14. whether we be beside our selues it is to God or whether we be sober it is for your cause for the loue of Christ constreyneth vs. A true zealot is neuer in his perfect temper till mad men and fooles Omnes mali stulti Omnes stulti insaniunt that is all wicked men say of him he is mad If any thinke sharpnesse naught because it makes bad men worse I answer that indeed it sometimes falls out that the Anuile-like hearts of hypocrites and desperate sinners grow harder by the blowes of reproofe so that wee may say of them in this respect as the Lord of his people Esay 1.5 why should yee bee smitten any more yee will reuolt more and more But yet in the meane time others are kept in awe while these are soundly whipt before their eyes and the mischiefe of taking heart from a lewd example preuented Seuere executions are as much for terror to beholders as for smart to the Malefactors on whom they are done And there is a necessity of thundring against such sinners as are outragiously wicked and aptest by their contagious breath to infect more h 1 Tim. 5.20 that others may feare The feare of making a young theefe a compleate rogue deterres not the Magistrate from sending him to the Goale nor from whipping or burning him before the face of the country when hee is there And shall that which
Contraries find out the faults of a bad that deserueth reproofe What nearer way to search a darke roome then to open the windowes and let in the light What better course to trie such light siluer then to carrie it to the ballance of the Sanctuarie In the generall A Bishop saith Saint Paul must be a 1. Tim. 3.2 T it 1.7 blamelesse yea b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnblameable Do you aske wherein The same Apostle sheweth He must be the husband of one wife vigilant sober of good behauiour giuen to * But then he must haue wherwithall hospitality â—pt to teach not giuen to wine no striker not greedie of filthy lucre but patient not a brauler nor couetous one that ruleth well his owne house hauing his children in subiection with all grauitie For if a man know not how to rule his owne house how shall he take câ—re of the Church of God Not â— Nouice * A nouice in Christianity a plant â—et but yesterday Theod. lest being lifted vp with pride he fall into the condemnation of the Diuell Moreouer he must haue a good report of them which are without lest he fall into reproach and into the snare of the Diuell Afterwards he addeth in the Character of a Deacon which also agreeth vnto all that he must not be double tongued but graue The same Apostle writing to c Tit. 1.7 Titus touching the same argument besides mention of diuers of the former hee speaketh of more requiring that He be not accused of riot or vnruly not selfe willed not soone angrie a louer of good men * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and good things Iust holy temperate holding fast the faithfull word as he hath been taught that so he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to conuince the gaine-sayers In his preaching he vseth not entising words of mans d 1. Cor. 2.4 wisdome that is though he may make vse of humane learning or eloquence yet he doth not set Hagar in Sarahs place Hagar may be in the house with her mistris so long as shee insult not against her mistris Quotations of Fathers and other authors may stand in his Sermon as well as of Poets in Saint Pauls e Act. 17.28 Tit. 1.12 Sermons and Epistles He must preach the word and be instant in season and out of season reproue rebuke exhort with all long suffering and * 2. Tim. 4.2 doctrine His ayme is not to corrupt the word of God but as of God in the sight of God he speaketh in f 2. Cor. 2.17 Christ He renounceth the hidden things of dishonestie not walking in craftinesse nor handling the word of God deceitfully but by the manifestation of the truth commendeth himselfe to euery mans g 2. Cor. 4.2 conscience in the sight of God He doth not beguile with any hypocriticall shew of zeale or desire to please men further then to edification not seeking his owne profit but the profit of many that they may bee h 1. Cor. 10.33 saued As he is allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospell euen so he speaketh not as pleasing men but God which tryeth the i 1. Thes 4.2 heart Finally in all things he must shew himselfe a patterne of good workes in doctrine shewing vncorruptnesse grauitie sinceritie sound speech that cannot be condemned that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed hauing no euill thing to say of k Tit. 2.8.9 him Now take this rule and lay it to a Clergie man and if he be not according hereunto but crooked and sweruing from it then he that hath authoritie and a calling to it may iustly blame him if he were Saint Peter l Gal. 2.11 himselfe because he walketh not vprightly according to the truth of the Gospell 2. A man that will accuse a Minister 2. Rule touching ministers or reproue him vpon another mans accusation must be certaine that the fault not onely be committed but also that it is or may bee soundly proued God made a Law that euery word of an accusation should be established by two or three m Deut. 17. witnesses This Law is reuiued by the Apostle in the Gospell and applyed to the case of Ministers Against an Elder receiue not an accusation but vnder two or three n 1. Tim. 5.19 witnesses by Elder meaning a Minister as Saint o Ambros in hunc locum Ambrose p Epiphan Haeres 75. Epiphanius and others rightly do expound it And great reason such a Law should be in force saith q Theod. in 1. Tim. 5. Vel maxime inquit hoc facere in Presbyteroâ— accidit enim vt cum Ecclesiae ei sit praefectura credita nonnullos ex ijs qui peccant offendat illique infesto sint animo calumniam in eum machinentur est ergo numerus testium exigendus Theodoret especially in the case of Ministers for it often happens that a Pastor offendeth some persons that are offenders who thereupon grow into an hatred of him and sticke not to load him with lyes and slanders therefore a competent number of witnesses against him is very requisite No faithfull Minister euer was so cleane throughout that no spot could be found about him or cast vpon his cloathes by malitious tongs Which of the Prophets which of the Apostles which of the Fathers hath not been loaden with false reports yea could Christ himselfe escape and what were all to blame what Christ himselfe too The experience of former ages hath therefore caused many Lawes and Constitutions against the common accusations of Ministers in publicke Courts as also for disabling of their accusers and witnesses for requiring a great number of witnesses that might bee admitted for sufficient persons yea for the qualitie and number of their Iudges also euen vnto too much My purpose is not to tumble all the Decretals and Ancient Canons which is the profession of Ciuilians yet something I will obserue out of the Councels to satisfie my Readers Eutichianus an ancient r Circa annuÌ„ 276. Bishop grauely admonished his Sicilian Å¿ Eutich Epist 2. Episco Syciliae Si quis Clericorum in crimine impeditur c. extat tom 1. Concil par 1. brethren that if any Clergie man should be accused he should not presently be condemned in their hearts as guiltie because accused lest innocency should suffer by vniust suspitions And indeed as a very bad man Iulian by name once spake very well like a good Gouernor If accusations alone would make any man guiltie who should be innocent The former Bishop religiously t Idem ibid. addeth NoÌ„ enim passim vageque sacerdotum accusatio debet fieri nam si facile admitteretur per pauci nimis inuenirentur quia omnes qui piè volunt viuere in Christo persequutionem patiuâ—â—or the accusations of Ministers ought not to be common and at randome admitted of for if they