walke by for the Kings of the earth band themselves and the Princes are assembled together against the Lord and against his Christ Psalme 2.2 and in 1 King 20.26 we read of no lesse then 32 Kings in a cluster which were every one drunke and elsewhere that a thousand of the chiefe Princes of Israel committed fornication and were all destroyed for their labour in one day Numb 25.9 1 Cor. 10.8 Yea of twenty Kings of Iudah which the Scripture mentions we read of but six that were godly and of eighteene Kings of Israel all but two are branded by the Holy Ghost for wicked and yet this nation was Gods peculiar and chosen people out of all the world And lastly when the Rulers sate in Councell against Christ none spake for him but Nichodemus Ioh. 7.50 51. All which shewes that it is neither a good nor a safe way to imitat other mens examples be they never so rich never so great Or if we avoid not their sinnes wee shall not escape their plagues if we sinne together we shall be sure to perish together as when those three and twenty thousand Israelites committed fornication after the example of their chiefe Princes they were every one destroyed both leaders and followers Num. 25.9 1 Cor. 10.8 And as when those other Cities followed Sodoms lust they were all consumed with Sodoms fire Iud. 7. Onely there shall be this difference as the errors of the eminent are eminent errors and the more noble the person the more notorious the corruption for great Persons like the great lights of Heaven the most conspicuous planets if they be eclipsed all the Almanacks of all nations write of it whereas the small Starres of the Galaxy are not heeded all the country runnes to a Beakon on fire no body regards to see a shrub flaming in a valley whereby sinne in them is not onely sinne but subornatione quae in Vulgaribus nugae in Magnatibus blasphemia so these great offenders shall meete with great punishments and as their fault is according to the condition of their place so shall the nature and proportion of their retribution be § 50. 3 BUt thirdly 3 Of the greatest schollers suppose most of the Learned and greatest Shcollers in the land were given to this vice which notwithstanding is a vanity to conceive yet all were one this could be no excuse for thee For first not many wise men after the flesh are called but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise that no flesh should rejoyce in his presence 1 Cor. 1.26.27.29 yea the preaching of Christ crucified was foolishnesse to the wise Sages of the world 1 Cor. 1.23 It pleaseth God for the most part to hide the mysteries of salvation from the wise and learned and reveale them unto babes Math 11.25 Luk. 10.21 yea the saving knowledge of Christ is hid to all that are lost 2 Cor. 4.3 But if once men abuse their knowledge and learning to Gods dishonour and comply with Sathan and the world against the Church then he taketh that knowledge which once they had from them as he tooke heate from the fire when it would burne his children Dan. 3.27 I will destroy the tokens of the Southsayers and make them that conjecture fooles I will turne the wise men backward and make their knowledge foolishnesse saith the Lord Isa 44.25 he taketh the wise in their craftinesse and the counsell of the wicked is made foolish Iob. 5.13 As how many wise and learned men among the Gentiles have turned fooles and worshipped gods that were not able to wipe off the dust from their owne faces How many Papists that are great clarkes and wise men maintaine a thousand absurd and ridiculous Tenents yea such brainesicke Positions that never any old woman or sicke person doted worse To nominate two of two hundred Iohn Baptist with them hath so many heads that they cannot tell which is the right God made him but one Herod left him none they as if he were another Hydra have furnished him with a great many Christs crosse is so multiplied with them that the same which one ordinary man might beare if the peeces were gathered together would now build a Pinnace of a hundred Tunne yet they will tell us that every shiver came by revelation and hath done miracles but this appeares to me the greatest miracle that any man should beleeve them yea is not their folly and blindnesse such as to maintaine those things for truth which the Holy Ghost plainely calls the Doctrine of Devills 1 Tim. 4.1.2 And justly are they forsaken of their reason who have abandoned God yea most just is it that they who want grace should want wit too If Idolaters will needs set up a false god for the true is it not equall that the true God should give them over to the false and because they receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved therefore saith the Apostle God sendeth them strong delusions that they might believe lyes that all they might be damned which beleeve not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse 2 Thes 2.10.11.12 God giveth to every man a stocke of knowledge more or lesse to occupy withall and to him which useth the same well viz. to his glory and profit of himselfe and others he giveth more as to the Servant which used his Talents wel hee doubled them which makes the Holy Ghost frequent in these and the like expressions If any will doe Gods will hee shall understand the Doctrine whether it be of God or no Ioh. 7.17 A good understanding have all they which keepe the Commandements Psal 111.10 The Spirituall man understandeth all things 1 Cor. 2.15 to a man that is good in his sight God giveth knowledge and wisdome Eccles 2.26 wicked men understand not judgment but they that seeke the Lord understand all things Pro. 28.5 But as for him which useth it not much more if he abuseth his knowledge to his owne hurt and Gods dishonour as too many doe he taketh from him even that which he had formerly given him as he tooke away the odd Talent from the servant which had but one and did not use the same Luk. 19.24 That this is Gods manner of dealing you may see Mat. 21.43 Gen. 4.11 Acts 26.18 Isaiah 29.14 and 44.25 and 6.9.10 Dan. 2.19.23 Iob 5.13.14 Ioh. 9.39 and 12.37.40 Rom. 1.28 Eph. 4.18.19 1 Cor. 1.20 2 Thes 2.10.11.12 Hee is not more the author of light in Goshen then of blacke darkenesse in Aegypt hee doth not more open the heart of Lydia then harden the spirit and make obstinate the heart of Sihon King of Hesbon Deut. 2.30 If there be a Mordecay growing into favour with him there is also an Haman growing out of favour As Eliah's spirit is doubled upon Elisha so the good Spirit departed from Saul As the Gentiles became beleevers so the Iewes became Infidells As Saul became an Apostle so Iudas
thee But this makes nothing for such as love their sins better then their soules except thou repentest Indeed let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous his owne imaginations and returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he is very ready to forgive saith Esay Chap. 55.7 and that we should not doubt of this he redoubles the promise Ezekiel 18. and confirmes the same with an oath Chapter 33.11 Yea he is more ready to shew mercy upon our repentance then we are to beg it as appeares in that example of the Prodigal son Luk. 15 20. Do but repent and God will pardon thee bee thy sinnes never so many and innumerable for multitude never so heynous for quality and magnitude for repentance is alwayes blest with forgivnes yea sinnes upon repentance are so remitted as if they had never been committed I have put away thy transgressions as a cloud and thy sinnes as a mist Esay 44.22 and what by corruption hath beene done by repentance is undone as abundance of examples witnesse He pardoned David's adultery Salomon's idolatry Peter's apostacie Paul did not only deny Christ but persecuted him yet hee obtained mercy upon his repentance Yea amongst the worst of Gods enemies some are singled out for mercy witnesse Manasses Mary Magdalen the Thiefe c. many of the Iewes did not only deny Christ the Holy one and the Just but crucified him yet were they pricked in heart at Peter's Sermon gladly received the word and were baptized Ast. 2.41 And a very Gentile being circumcised was to be admitted to all priviledges and prerogatives concerning matters of faith and Gods worship as well as the children of Israel Gen. 17.13 But on the other side unlesse we repent and amend our lives we shall all perish as Christ himselfe affirmes Luk. 13.3.5 § 145. FOr though mercy rejoyceth against justice Iames 2.13 His mercy rejoyceth against justice but destroyeth not his justice yet it destroyeth not Gods justice though hee is a boundlesse Ocean flowing with mercy yet he doth not overflow he is just as well as mercifull yea saith Bernard Mercy and Truth are the two feet of God by which he walketh in all his wayes his mercy is a just mercy and his justice is a mercifull justice he is infinite in both hee is just even to those humble soules that shall be saved and he will be merciful while presumptuous sinners go to hell and therefore in his word hee hath equally promised all blessings unto those which keepe his Commandements and threatned all manner of judgments to those which break them with their severall extreames according to the measure and degree of every sin Deut. 28 Neither is salvation more promised to the godly then eternall death and destruction is threatned to the wicked His mercy is a just mercy and as Christ is a Saviour so Moses is an accuser Iohn 5.45 Alasse though to all repentant sinners he is a most mercifull God And therefore hath equally promised all blessings to those which keepe his commande ments and threatned all manner of judgements to those that break them yet to wilfull and impenitent sinners hee is a consuming fire Heb. 12.29 Deut. 4.24 doth not the Apostle say that neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor buggerers nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor railers nor extortioners to which number S. Iohn Revelation 21.8 addeth the fearefull and unbeliveing and murtherers and sorcerers and all lyers shall not inherit the Kingdome of God 1 Corinth 6.9.10 Galathians 5.21 but shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death And doth he not likewise affirme that all they shall be damned which believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnes 2 Thes 2 12. doth not the Lord say Ier. 16.13 that he will have no mercy for such as are desperately wicked And again Deut. 29.19.20 that if any man blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have peace although I walke according to the stubbornnesse of mine owne heart that he mill not be mercifull to him c. Doth not our Saviour himself say that the gate of heaven is so strait that few find it Mat. 7.13.14 and will hee not at his comming to judgement as well say unto the disobedient Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Divell and his Angels as to the obedient Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome c. yes they are his owne words Matth. 25.34.41 and S. Iames saith that he shal have judgement without mercy that hath shewed no mercy Iames. 2.13 In fine he that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life but he that obeyeth not the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Ioh. 3.36 For as mercy in the second Commandement is entailed only to believers and to those which love God and keepe his Commandements so God at the last day will reward every man according to his righteousnesse 1 Sam. 26.23 as hee did David 2 Sam. 22.21 though not for his righteousnesse Deut. 9.4.5.6 which is as a menstruous cloth Esay 64.6 Yea hee hath sufficiently manifested his justice and severity already in punishing sinne and powring vengeance upon others that have provoked him as 1. upon the Angels 2. upon our first Parents and all the race of mankind 3. upon the old World 4. upon whole Monarchs and Empires 5. upon whole Nations 6. upon whole Cities 7. upon whole Families 8. upon divers particular persons and 9. upon his owne Sonne that no sinne might goe unpunished which may make all impenitent persons tremble for As the Locrians might once argue if our King is so just to his owne onely son in punishing adultery that he caused one of his eyes to be pul'd out and another of his owne how can wee his subjects expect to be dispensed withall so may I argue if God was so just and severe to his own Son that nothing would appease him but his death on the crosse how can the wicked his enemies looke to be spared If he spared not a good and gracious Sonne saith S. Bernard will he spare thee a wicked and ungracious servant one that never did him a peece of good service all thy daies If he punished David's adultery and murther so sharply a man after his own heart yea and that after his sinne was remitted what will hee doe to his enemies but send them to that devouring fire that everlasting burning Isa 33.14 If Gods own children who are as deare and neer to him as the aple of his eye or Signet on his right hand suffer so many and grievous afflictions here what shall his adversaries suffer in Hell if Sampson be thus punished shall the Philistims escape Yea if judgement begin at the house of God where shall the ungodly and wicked appeare If many shall seeke to enter in at the strait gate
should this be should we thinke ever the better of error though a thousand of the learned should countenance and maintaine the same no one Micaiah a single Prophet speaking from the Oracles of God is more worthy of credit then 400. Baalites 1 Kin. 22.6 12 13 14 17 22 23. One Luther a mean man is worthy to bee believed before the Pope and so many legions of his creatures which were throughout Christendom for what hee wanted in abbertors was supplyed in the cause yea did not Paphnutius a weak scholler shew more wisdome in defending the truth against the whole Councell of Nice then all those great Clarks and learned men to his great renowne and their everlasting shame Did not Pharaoh find more wisdome in Ioseph a poore Hebrew servant and receive more solid advice from him wherby a famine through out the whole world was prevented then hee could in all the Wisemen and Southsayers of Egypt Gen. 41.8 to 32 Did not Nebuchadnezzar finde more depth in Daniel a poore captive Iew then he could in all the wise men of Babylon Daniel 2. and 4 yes and the reason is one eye having sight is better then a thousand blind eyes and one poore crucified thief being converted had a clearer eye then all the Iews Rulers Scribes and Pharisies who being naturall and wicked condemned and crucified JESUS CHRIST In the Councell of Trent there was of 270. Prelates 187. chose out of Italy and of the rest the Pope who was himselfe Moderator and his creatures excluded and tooke in whom themselves would and none else what marvaile then if they concluded what they listed Yea how many Schollers in all ages of the world have resembled Trajan who was endued with great knowledge and other singular vertues but defaced them all by hating Christianity and opposing the power of godlinesse How many are so farre from doing good that they doe great hurt with their gifts and not seldom the more gifts they have the more harme they do For as the best soyle commonly yeelds the worst aire so without grace there is nothing more pestilent then a deepe wit Wit and learning well used are like the golden earerings and bracelets of the Israelites abused like the same gold cast into a molten Idoll then which nothing more abominable No such prey for the Devill as a good wit unsanctified great wits oft times mislead not only the owners but many followers besides as how many shall once wish they had been born dullards when they shall finde their wit and learning to have barred them out of heaven And let them looke to it for as in respect of others their offence is greater for better many Israelites commit adultery or idolatry then one David or Salomon The least meate that flies in the Sun or between our eyes and the light seemes a greater substance then it is and the more learned the person the more notorious the corruption as the freshest sommers day will soonest taint those things which will putrifie so in respect of themselves their sinne is and their punishment shall bee greater for the more glorious the Angels excellency the more damnable their apostacie If the light become darknesse how great is that darknesse If Achitophel prove a villaine how mischievous is his villany Putrified Lillies smell farre worse than weeds if vertue turne into vice the shame is triple For many Iewes to deny Christ was not so much as for one Peter Yea if all the Cities of the world had done filthily it were short of this wonder the Virgine daughter of Sion is become an harlot Isaiah 1.21 If Iudas become a traitor how great is his treason If Absalom rebell how unnaturall is his rebellion And so much to answer the plea of learned men § 52. FOurthly 4. The best and holiest men no certaine rule to walk by that the example of the best and holiest men is no certaine rule for us to walk by is plain for if euery act of the holiest persons should be our rule we should have but crooked lives for then because Noah was drunk Lot committed incest Abraham lied David committed adultery and murther Peter forswore his Master c. we should do the like which no man with a reasonable soule can affirm though some infatuated and incorrigible sinners would faine justifie their abominable wickednesse by the falls of Gods children recorded in holy writ for every action that is reported is not straight way allowed Yea God hath given us rules whereby wee may examine the examples of the best Saints and as well censure the bad as follow the good which made S. Augustine answer some Hereticks who alledged for themselves the authority of Saint Cyprian I am not bound to S. Cyprians authority any further then it is Canonicall The just Saints are to bee followed but onely in their justice and sanctity we are not bound to be good mens Apes let us follow such as excell in vertue Psalm 16.3 in such vertues wherein they excell as every Saint excells in some vertue one excells in knowledge another excells him in faithfulnesse a third excells them both in zeale a fourth excells all in humility a fifth excells the rest in that Christian vertue yea Christs vertue forgiving of wrongs and yet a poore man may out goe them all in an admirable patience 1 Corinthians 12.31 Now as when Paul had propounded many raregraces hee concludes with desire you earnestly the best gifts 1 Cor. 12.31 so take the best of every man and ther w ht make up an excellent man As the Italians got up all the excellent pictures in the world that out of them all they might make one masterpeece or most excellent picture for the sweetnes of all the best flowers make most sweet and excellent honey so learne of this man zeale of another knowledge of another patience c. follow David where hee followed Gods heart not where hee followed his own heart if he turn toward lust blood idlenesse let us leave him there let us follow Peters confession not his abnegation be ye followers of me saith S. Paul even as I am of Christ 1 Cor. 11.1 We must not imitate every one but such as Paul Philip. 3.17 nor Paul in every thing but wherein he followes Christ the great Apostle injoyneth our imitation but gives a limitation doe not yee follow after me unlesse you see the tract of Christ before me imitemur bonos sed in bonis let us follow good men but onely in what they are good for otherwise no motion can want a pretence as calling for fire from heaven to consume such as displease us Elias did so and why not we Offering our children in sacrifice Iephta did so as some thinke and why not we Marying of many wives and putting away such as they did not like the Fathers did so and why not we Borrowing but never paying againe the Israelites did so by the Egyptians and why not wee Murthering of Princes Ehud did
fowler which we loath Yea even love Zaleuchus-like will make a man put out one of his owne eyes that so he may see his friends vertues not see his crimes Hath not his affection rob'd him of his judgement who thinkes better of a filthy strumpet then of his own chast wife yea surely if hee did not looke through the false spectacles of his flesh it could not be But anger especially robs a man of his judgement and lifts reason out of her seate which makes these beastly sensuall swilbowles so partial in judging between themselves and the godly As for example indeed the Scriptures afford not mamy examples of it in them which were drunkards for drunkennesse was then as rare as now it is common but what is true of all the Serpents seed must needs be true of Sathans peculiar ones How did anger rob Haman of his judgement who thought Mordecae's not bowing the knee to him a more heynous offence then his owne murthering of thousands And Iezabel of hers who thought it a greater sinne in Eliah to kill Baals Prophets then in her selfe to slay all the Prophets of the Lord And the Pharisis of theirs who could see more unlawfulnes in the Disciples plucking a few eares of corne and the Palsie-mans carrying his bed on the Sabbath then in their own devouring of widowes houses and could better afford themselves to murther Christ then others to believe in him yea they could better afford themselves to be the greatest of sinners then our Saviour to be in company with sinners And lastly Ahab who thought Eliah troubled Israel more in doing the wil of the Lord then himselfe in provoking the Lord above all the Kings of Israel which were before him which is the case of our drunkards they censure more deeply our fearing of God then their owne blaspheming of him and thinke it a more heinous offence for us to be sober then for themselves to be drunke What then are their censures of us when wee do offend Yea if mens passions and affections did not make them strangely partiall how could they suffer their faithfull and painfull Minister who lies ledger for the great King of Heaven and Earth to feed upon Crusts and spinne out twenty or forty Marks a yeare into a thread as long as his life yea murmure at his great meanes and boast of their large contribution and complaine he keeps no hospitality though indeed even books would require ten pounds of the money I speak not of their blockish stupidity who think none live more idly then Schollers when yet themselves being undeserving Attorneys or silly Tradesmen who doe little else but stand in their Shops or ungodly Ale-house-keepers whose whole life is but a vicissitude of filling and emptying will get and spend one hundred two hundred three hundred pounds per Annum a peece and yet complaine of a hard world surely they think Ministers can preach without study as the Apostles did or live by miracle as Iohn Baptist did who was in his diet habit and carriage indeed a miracle 3. 4 They see and look to us not to themselves Another reason is as these drunkards can see us but not themselves without a glasse so they looke to us not to themselves it faring with them as it did witht he â—airies called Lamiae who made use of their eyes when they went abroad but put them in a box when they came home and they have much the more quiet for so doing a wicked mans conscience being like a bad wife that wil either bee gadding abroad or scoulding at home In surveying their owne evill actions they are beetle eyed or like him Iohn the 9. who had never a seeing eye or at least like Polyphemus who had onely one eye but in spying ours they have the eyes of a Basiliske and are as quick sighted as Argos who had his head compassed with an hundred eyes yea as Lynceus who as Varro speakes could see through a wall or if they have two seeing eyes yet like the purblind they see double or like those women of Scythia called Bithiae they have two sights in each eye for if they looke upon our actions it is with an evill eye judging of us by what wee should bee if upon their owne it is with a tender eye and so judge by what they are in their owne opinion and the judgement of sense And to mend the matter Sathan like our cunning men presents unto them spirituall things in a false glasse stamping his own image on Gods silver and Gods Image on his owne drosse and so comes their often mistake in censuring Neither are their memories lesse partiall for in remembring our faults they are like Clement the sixth who never forgat any thing he had once learned but touching their own they resemble Claudius the Emperor who presently forgat whatsoever he did or spake Now put all together and tel me whether it fares not with drunkards as it did with Pentheus in Euripides his Bacchus who supposed he saw two Sunnes two Thebes every thing double when his braine alone was troubled § 92. SEcondly How drunkards will raise slanders of the conscionable if wee refuse to participate with them in their sinne it shall goe hard but they will make us partake with them of their shame as if Ioseph will not commit adultery with his Mistris shee will accuse him for an adulterer and make him worse thought of then her selfe Innocency is no shelter against evil tongues malice never regards how true any accusation is but how spitefull The baggage World desireth nothing more then to scarre the face that is fairer then shee and it is Sathans policie because report both makes jealousies where there are none and increaseth those that there are to abuse our eares in hearing our tongues in speaking and our hearts in believing lies to disable us from discerning the truth Yea this of slander like a huge and mighty Polypheme hath done such service to the uncircumcised that examples therof in Scripture are like moates in the Sun as whom have wee mentioned therein without mention of some false accusation Naboth was a blasphemer upon record and proved so by affidavit Eliah was a troubler of Israel Ieremiah an enemy to the State Susanna a Whore Iohn Baptist had a Divell Paul was a polluter of the Temple Stephen was a destroyer of the Law all the Disciples sectaries subverters of the State c. Acts 28.21 Yea Christ himselfe was a Wine-bibber a seducer of the people a Beelzebub and what not And the same divell who spake in Iezabel and those wicked ones of old now speaks in our debauched drunkards and deboyshed swearers who resembling the Divell Rev. 12.10 Iob 1.7 9 11. will charge a man if hee bee not for their turne with many things as the Iewes did Paul Acts 24. but proving nothing verse 13. Neither needs their any proofe How apt others are to believe their slanders and afterwards to spread