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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A72993	A Romane centurion becomming a good souldier of Iesus Christ In foure sermons, preached in the cathedrall church, and in Saint Thomas Church at Sarum. By Bartholomevv Parsons, B.D. and rector of Ludgershall, in the county of Wiltes.	Parsons, Bartholomew, 1574-1642.	1635 (1635)	STC 19350.5; ESTC S124821	64,942	95

1 Pet. 1.4 undefiled like the stone Amiantus and unfading like the flower Amarantus Againe for Religion He was a devout man and one that feared God you are therein a true Israelite without guile a constant Professour of the Orthodoxe faith and Religion professed in this Church because it is in your conscience Gods truth and the right way of serving him and not for any temporising respects of swimming with the streame nor for any feare or favour of men He feared God with all his family It hath ever bin your Fathers and your own resolution and course with that brave leader of Israel Ioshua to serve God with your whole houshould (b) Ios 24.15 as thinking with the Emperour Constantius of his servants that they could not keepe their faith inviolate towards him that were perfidious to Almighty God (c) Euseb de vita Constan li. 1. ca. 11. and to see that they be present at the set times of prayer yea to compell them to come on the solemne dayes and times into Gods house that it may be full He if he had any wife in that houshold to oversee their wayes could not be happier in her then you are in your loving and religious Consort who so sympathizeth with you that whither you goe she will go where you lodge she will lodge your people are her people and which is best of all your God is her God and that nothing but death can part you her as Ruth saith to Naomi (a) Ruth 1.16 He gave much almes to the people round about him you not only like Abraham and Lot entertaine yea invite and entreat into your house your neighbours friends and strangers but also daily at your gates breake your bread and open your almes basket to the poore of the Parishes round adjoyning and refresh their hungry bowelles The Lord grant unto you that you may finde mercy of the Lord in that day He with his pitty and charity towards men joyned piety towards God praying to God continually and you do not onely serve God in righteousnesse and mercifulnesse towards men but also in holinesse towards him invocation of his name you have a Church in your house and an Oratory to serve God in and you have your stata tempòra set times which upon none occasion you omitte or intermitte And I have this confidence in you that you have also your secret times of entring into your Closet and praying to your Father in secret (a) Mat. 6. of communing with your owne heart upon your bedde and in private retirednesse (b) Psal 4. Now then macte virtute good lucke have thou with thine honour ride on still like a good plant in the house of the Lord flourish still in the Courts of our God bring forth still these fruits amongst your other fruits of Christianity both in your mature and old age (d) Psal 92.14 be stedfast unmooveable alwayes abounding in these workes of the Lord (e) 1 Cor. 15. as you beleeve against all the enemies of grace that the seed of grace sowne in the good ground bringeth forth fruit with patience and perseverance (f) Luk. 8.15 the originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth both and that the Lord who is faithfull will stablish his children in every good word and worke (g) 2 Thes 3.3 and 2 17. and confirme them unto the end (h) 1 Cor. 1.8 And that God who hath begun his good worke in you wil finish it until the day of Christ as he doth make you perfect stablish strengthen and settle you in every good worke so your reward shall be great in Heaven with him he will abundantly recompence his owne gifts and good works in you and crowne them with that crowne of righteousnesse which is laid up for all them that love the appearing of Iesus Christ in which blessed company that you may ever be found shall be the servent prayers of Your devoted Servant in Christ Iesuse BARTHOL PARSONS From my Rectory at Ludgershall in the County of Wilts the 30. March 1634. A Romane Centurion becomming a good Souldier of IESVS CHRIST SECTION I. Acts cap. 10. vers 1 2. 1 There was a certaine man in Cesares called Cornelius a Centurion of the Band called the Italian Band 2 A devout man and one that feared God with all his house which gaue much almes to the people and prayed to God alway IN the eight Chapter of this Booke there appeares unto us certaine glimmering sparkles or flashes as it were of Gods purpose to call the Gentiles out of darkenesse to his marveilous light both in the turning of the Samaritanes with whom before this time the Iewes might not meddle for they had no dealings with the Samaritanes Iohn 4.9 and into whose wayes the Apostles at their first sending out might not goe into any City of the Samaritanes enter yee not Math. 10.5 from the power of Satan to God and also in giving the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ unto the Eunuch that came to Ierusalem to worshippe But in this the resplendent beames of Gods good pleasure in giving unto the Gentiles repentance unto life shine cleerely unto us in an heavenly vision both instructing and authorising Peter that he being a Iew might enter in to Cornelius and the other Gentiles with him and preach Christ Iesus unto them This whole Chapter then containing a narration of the full illuminating of Cornelius with the knowledge of the Messias alreadie come In these two verses proposed is premised a description of the person of Cornelius either in his civill state Vers 1. There was a certaine man in Cesarea called Cornelius a Centurion of the Band called the Italian Band or his religious both affections and actions Vers 2. A devout man and one that feared God with all his house which gave much almes to the people and prayed to God alway In the former he is set out 1. By the place of his dwelling at Cesarea 2. By his profession and calling Hee was a Centurion of a Band which Band is also particularly described by the Countrey whence it came the Italian Band. In the latter his religious both affections and actions are declared generally or particularly generally He was a devout man which is also amplified by an equivalent phrase for fuller expression and one that feared God and also secondly by an adjoyned association with all his house-hold Particularly by the fruits of his Religion either in his charitie towards his brethren or his pietie towards God his charitie in giving almes amplified 1. by the measure much almes 2. by the persons to the people His pietie towards God in his prayers and supplications Hee prayed which are also set out by the circumstance of the person to whom He prayed to God 2. of the time He did it alway To prosecute these particulars in their order I begin first with the first

A ROMANE CENTVRION BECOMMING A GOOD Souldier of Iesus Christ IN FOVRE SERMONS Preached in the Cathedrall Church and in Saint Thomas Church at Sarum By BARTHOLOMEVV PARSONS B.D. and Rector of Ludgershall in the County of Wiltes EPH. 6. VERSE 13. Take unto you the whole armour of God c. 14. Stand therefore having your Loynes girt about with truth and having on the brest-plate of righteousnesse c. LONDON Printed by M. D. and are to be sosd by Henry Hammond Booke-seller in Salsbury 1635. TO THE MOST HONOVRED Generous and Religious Mr IOHN POPHAM Esquire a true servant to God his King and his COVNTREY NOBLE SIR VErtue which was to others an Autumne late ripe fruite budded to the Caesars in their spring time Caesaribus virtus contigit ●me diem saith Ovid. Dame vertue did their portion frankly pay unto the Cesars long before their day And Honour the shadow following this great body of vertue which to most is a winter-f●u●t scarce over ripening is to you a Primrose springing up in the Prime of the dayes Gloria Pophamo contigit ante diem Honour which towards others keepes such state On Popham early did beginne to waite You are as honourable in the hearts affections and tongues of all that know you in these parts as if all the titles and complements of Honour which in a state are conferred upon eminent Persons had beene already heaped upon you And although as the Prince of Philosophers long since pronounced honorest in honorante magis quàm in honorato honour be rather in him that honoureth then in him that is honoured yet this Honour in you will be as indeleble a Character as that which accrueth by bloud is accounted by the Men of Law For as amongst the old Romanes there was no way to the Temple of Honour but through the Temple of Vertue so you have gone the high way to this Honour by those vertues that are of a Magneticall vertue to draw to them the hearts and respects of men Si vis benè audire discito benè loqui cum benè loqui didiceris rectè etiam facere conator Hoc enim modo bonam famam acquires Epict●tus your Humanity Humility and Hospitality If thou wilt have a good name learne to speake fairely and when thou hast learned that indevour to do well also For hy this meanes thou shalt get a good report said Epictetus or as Plutarch in his Apophthegmes expresseth it more roundly the way to a good fame is Si dices optima facies pulcherrima by sweete language and faire deeds Your Humanity is such that even for that you are as Titus the Romane Emperour was called in his time deliciae humani generis the darling of mankinde and that which Plutarke said of Alcibiades Plut. in Alcibiade is appliable to you he was so sweete and pleasant in his daily conversing that even to them which did either fear c●renvy him Si quis cogitat constituere magnam fabricam celsitudinis is prins de fundamento humilitatis cogitet his presence and aspect was pleasant ioyfull And for Humility you have ever bin so lowly in your owne eyes that for it you have bin highly honoured in the eyes of other men For if any man thinke to erect the great fabricke of dignity let him first thinke upon the foundation of humility Dignity delighteth all men but humility is the step to it Omnes delectat celsitudo sed humilitas gra-dus est Quid tendis ordem ultra te Cadere vis non ascendere A gradu incipe ascendisti Aug. de verb. Dom. Why dost thou lift thy foote beyond thy selfe that 's the way to fall downe not to clime up begin at the step and thou hast already climed up And for Hospitality you have ever bin so mind full to intertain neighbours and strangers that few great Houses in our parts can contend or compare for free frequent and magnificent intertainement with your Litle-coate (b) The name of his Mansion house that though you have not had the happinesse with Abraham and Lot to entertaine Angells in the shape of men (c) Heb. 13.2 yet it hath bin your happinesse and goodnesse too frequently to entertaine the men that are the Angels of the Churches and of late our reverend Diocesan the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the principall Angel of the Churches within his Diocese And your Hospitality hath bin so seasoned with Affability that as bis dat qui citò dat he giveth doubly that giveth speedily so bis dat qui tam alacriter dat he entertaineth doubly that entertaineth so cheerefully it is the highest commendation of entertainment in the Poet that super omnia vultus accessere boni above all there were added kinde countenances and the counsaile of the wise man In all thy gifts shew a cheerefull countenance (a) Ecclus. 35 9. Howbeit it is not the Contemplation of these faire graces in you quid enim sunt bona nostra nisi dona dei what are our good deeds but Gods good graces in us that onely animateth me to present and Dedicate this piece of my labours to you For as Varus said to Augustus Caesar Quiapud te non audent dicere ignorant humanitatem tuam they that dare not speake in thy presence are ignorant of thine humanity nor yet the relation of that long acquaintance that I have had with your selfe and your best friends but also and much more the just conformity and correspondence of the Person intreated of in these Sermons with your selfe and your family that so I may say with the Kingly Preacher there is no new thing done under the Sun (b) Eccl. 1.9 and that which hath bin is now (a) Eccl. 3.15 and againe that with the men of Berea you are every way as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as noble in receiving Gods word with all diligence of minde and searching the Scriptures (b) Act. 17.11 and other Heroicall and Christian vertues as even Cornelius was For He for his civill state was a Centurion or Captaine of an hundred at Cesarea farre out of his owne Countrey of Italy you have the honour in your own Countrey to be more then a Centurion a Deputy Lievetenant in this Country for Military Discipline and a Colonell of diverse bands He was a servant to the Roman Cesar Tiberius who by j●st computation then reigned a wise and politike Prince but withall crafty cruell perfidious Lascivious you are Domesticall servant to our Soveraigne who is alterius orhis Caesar the Cesar of this other Britaine world as Pope V●ban called Anselme our Archbishop alterius or bis Papam and who equalleth the best that were of that ranke or his politicall and morall vertues of wisedome temperance fortitude clemency and moderate government but farre exceedeth them in Religion Piety knowledge and service of the true God and assured hope of a Crowne that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (a)

non person● Hieron in Eccl. 12. Duo nominasunt aliud quod homo aliud quod peccator Quod homo opusest dei quodpeccator opus est hominis da operidei noli operi hominis Hee that giveth an almes to the needy and despiseth him not for his default sheweth mercy truly For the nature is to bee respected not the person Saint Austin hath a pretty distinction in this kinde There are two names one that hee is a man another that bee is a sinner that hee is a man is the worke of God that hee is a sinner is the worke of man give to the worke of God give not to the worke of man And he interpreteth what it is to give to the worke of man to a sinner in regard of his sinne to an Hunter Stage player or Harlot in respect of their profession Aug. in Psal 102. But as for those sturdy vagrand and lazy droanes who being strong to labour will eate and not worke who have taken up Satans trade to compasse the earth who live without God without Magistrate without Minister without calling in the world wee must withdraw our selves from them if they will not worke they must not eate 2 Thes 3.6.10 if their extreame necessity be such that they must have an almes yet their impiety deserveth a rodde for their backes and it is the best almes that can be done to them to execute the lawes made against them both that they may be brought into order and also that the truly poore may receive that which these drones devoure These are the persons that wee must doe almes to and in such ranke and order as I have recited It is no being mercifull or doing of almes if wee feast our rich friends or neighbours if we give great gifts to our betters or equals either to curry favour shunne displeasure or because wee have or would recieve a like or greater benefit if wee keepe an open and dissolute house for drunkards and good fellowes the one may be civill courtesie the other uncivill prodigality Laudent tejelunantium viscera non er●ctantium plena convivia Hieron neither Christian charity Let the bowels of the hungry praise thee not the full bankets of the Gorbellies saith S. Ierom He that considereth the poore and needy is blessed The Lord give us understanding as in all things so in this that shewing mercy wee may finde it with the Lord in that day Now to God the Father c. THE FOVRTH SECTION Acts 10. vers 2. A devout man and one that feared God with all his house which gave much almes to the people and prayed to God alway I Come to you now this fourth time with that commendation which the spirit of truth whose testimonie wee know to be true giveth of this religious proselite Cornelius Now hee was not like the mongrell brood of those Iewes who had marryed wives of Ashdod that spake halfe in the language of the Iewes halfe in the language of Ashdod Neh. 13.23.24 Hee was not religious by halfes hee served not God in an unrighteous holinesse as many who professe to know God and to be zealous for him yet will do no good amongst their people or in an unholy righteousnesse as they who are ready to doe good and shew great kindnesse amongst their people with whom they dwell but care not for the matters of religion and Gods service what it become of them but with the love of his neighbour whom hee had seene hee joyned the love of God whom hee had not seene with charity towards men hee practised petty towards God and prayed God continually Wherein all things are 3 things as 3 things are all the action he prayed Omnia sunt tria Tria sunt omnia 2. the object God 3. the manner alwayes I begin with the action the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 properly a supplicating and suing for the averting of evill either come or comming upon him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Apostle in foure words seemeth to make foure kindes of prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.1 I exhort that supplications which are deprecations of all evills either imminent or incident 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 petitions for all necessary good things either temporall or spirituall intercessions for others that God would free them from evill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fill them with good thankesgivings either for benefits conferred upon or evills removed from us or others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be made for all men for Kings and all that are in authoritie But heere the speciall is put for the generall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee supplicated to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for h●e invocated and prayed with all prayer and supplication as the Apostle speaketh Eph. 6 18. Whereof if any amongst us be so ignorant as I feare too many amongst u● are but children in understanding as to aske mee what is this whereof thou speakest as the Philosophers at Athens did Paul of his doctrine Act. 17.19 I say it is a religious service wherein wee aske of God onely for Christs sake all Spirituall and Temporall gifts according to his Commandement and promise and also give thankes to him for gifts received Some of the Schoolemen goe too farre when they define prayer to be a petition which is directed to God Oratio est petitio quae ad deum dirigitur vel ad personas vel ad personam propter ipsum or to some persons or person for him Biell de canone Missae 61. That so the Saints may be brought in to have part in our suites but such honour have none of the Saints Oratio est mentis devetio id est coversio in deum per pium hum●lem affectnum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saint Augustine speaketh the same language of Canaan Prayer is a devotion of the minde that is a turning it to God by a pious and humble affection and Damascene Prayer is an ascending up of the minde to God and an asking of covenient things of him Now do we looke on him do likewise Iudg. 7.17 be we followers of him that good which we see and heare in this good man let us do as he prayed with all prayer and supplication so let every one of us that will be of Gods houshold powre out our soules in prayers unto him nay what speake I of following Cornelius onely Let us take for an example of lifting up our hearts and our heads in prayer all the Elders and worthies of God that now inherite the promises who in their generations called on the name of the Lord and sought his face from time to time according to that Psal 22.5 they cryed unto him and were delivered they trusted in him and were not confounded Yea the cheife shepheard of our soules who in the dayes of his flesh offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares Heb.