is but as another mans Person But Slanders and Contempts done to him as a Minister that is with reference either to his Calling or Doctrine are much greater then to another man as reaching vnto God himselfe whose Person the Minister representeth in his Calling and whose errand the Minister deliuereth in his Doctrine For Contempts Saint Paul is expresse elsewhere e 1. Thes. 4. 8 He that despiseth despiseth not Man but God And as for Slanders the very choyce of the word in my Text inferreth as much The dignitie of our Calling enhaunceth the sinne and euery Slander against our regular Doctrines is more then a bare Calumnie if no more at least petty f Wee haue heard him speake blasphemous words against Moses and against God Act. 6. 11. Blasphemie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As wee are slandered as wee are blasphemed That from the word Obserue thirdly § 7. OBSERV III. The best truths are subiect to Slander the wrong done to the Apostle and to his Doctrine Hee was slanderously reported to haue taught that which hee neuer so much as thought and his Doctrine had many scandalous imputations fastened vpon it whereof neither hee nor it were guilty As wee are slanderously reported and as some affirme that we say The best Truths are subiect to mis-interpretation and there is not thaâ— Doctrine how firmely so euer grounded how wariâ—â— so euer deliuered whereon Calumny wil not fasten and stick slanderous imputations Neither a Math. 11. 17 18 19. Iohns mourning nor Christs piping can passe the pikes but the one hath a Diuell the other is a glutton and a wine-bibber Though b Math. 5. 17. Christ come to fulfill the Law yet there bee will accuse him as a destroyer of the Law Math. 5. And though hee decide the question plainely for Caesar and that in the case of Tribute Math. 22. c Math. 22. 21. Giue vnto Caesar the things that are Caesars yet there be that charge him as if he d Ioh 19. 12. spake against Caesar Ioh. 19. and that in the very case of Tribute as if hee e Luk. 23. â— forbade to giue Tribute vnto Caesar Luke 23. Now if they f Mat. 10. 25 called the Master of the house Beelzebub how much more them of his houshold If Christs did not thinke wee the doctrine of his Ministers and his Seruants could escape the stroke of mens tongues and bee free from calumny and cauill How the Apostles were slandered as Seducers and Sectaries and vaine babblers and Heretiques and broachers of new and false and pestilent doctrines their Epistles and the booke of their Acts witnesse abundantly to vs. And for succeeding times reade but the Apologies of Athenagoras and Tertullian and others and it will amaze you to see what blasphemous and seditious and odious and horrible impieties where fathered vpon the ancient Christian Doctors and vpon their profession But our owne experience goeth beyond all The Doctors of our Church teach truely and agreeably to vnanswerable euidences of Scripture The g Act. 17. â—8 Esay 26. 12. effectuall concurrence of Gods will and power with subordinate Agents in euery and therefore euen in sinfull actions Gods h Rom. 9. 11. 15 18 c. free election of those whom he purposeth to saue of his owne grace without any motiues in or from themselues The immutabilitie of Gods i Ioh 13. 1. Rom. 11. 29. 5. 9. 10. 8. 35 38 39. Loue and Grace towards the Saints and their certaine perseuerance therein vnto Saluation The k Rom. 3. 28. Iustification of sinners by the imputed righteousnesse of Christ apprehended and applyed vnto them by a liuely faith without the workes of the Law These are sound and true and comfortable and profitable and necessary doctrines And yet that impudent Strumpet of Rome hath the forehead I will not say to slander my Text alloweth more to blaspheme God and his Truth and the Ministers thereof for teaching them Bellarmine Gretser Maldonate the Iesuites but none more then our own English Fugitiues Bristow Stapleton Parsons Kellison and all the rabble of those Romish hell-hounds freely spend their mouthes in barking against vs as if wee made God the author of sinne as if wee would haue men sinne and be damned by a Stoicall fatall necessitieâ— sinne whether they will or no and be damned whether they deserue it or no as if we opened a gappe to all licenciousnesse and prophanenesse let men beleeue it is no matter how they liue heauen is their owne cock-sure as if we cryed downe good workes and condemned charity Slanders loud and false yet easily blowne away with one single word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These imputations vpon vs and our doctrine are vniust but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them that thus mis-report vs know that without repentance their damnation will be iust It would be time not ill spent § 8. With the Causes to discouer the grounds of this obseruation and to presse the vses of it something fully But because my ayme lyeth another way I can but point at them and passe If seldome Truth scape vnslandered maruell not the reasons are euident On Gods part on Mans part on the Diuels part God suffereth Man rayseth the Diuel furthereth these slanders against the Truth To begin ordine retrogrado and to take them backwards First on the Diuels part a kinde of Contrariety and Antipathie betwixt him and it He being the a Ioh. 8. 44. Father of lies and b Eph. 6. 12. Prince of darknesse cannot away with the Truth and with the Light and therefore casteth vp slanders as Fogs and Mists against the Truth to belie it and against the Light to darken it Secondly on mans part And that partly in the Vnderstanding when the iudgement either of it selfe weake or else weakened through precipitancie preiudice or otherwise is deceiued with fallacies in stead of substance and mistaketh seeming inferences for necessary and naturall deductions Partly in the Will when men of corrupt minds set themselues purposely against the knowne truth and out of malicious wilfulnesse against the strong testimonie of their owne hearts slander it that so they may disgrace it and them that professe it Partly in the Affections when men ouercome by carnall affections are content to cheate their owne soules by giuing such constructions to Gods Truth as will for requital giue largest allowance to their practices and so rather chuse to crooken the Rule to their owne bent then to leuell themselues and their affections and liues according to the Rule Thirdly on Gods part who suffereth his owne Truth to bee slandered and mistaken Partly in his Iustice as a fearefull Iudgement c 2. Thess. 2 10 11 12. vpon wicked ones whereby their hard hearts become yet more hardened and their most iust condemnation yet more iust Partly in his Goodnesse as a powerfull fierie triall of true Doctors whose constancie and sinceritie is
for why should he punish vs for that which so much magnifieth and commendeth his righteousnesse b Vers. 5. But if our vnrighteousnesse commend the righteousnesse of God what shall we say Is God vnrighteous that taketh vengeance The second Inference If so then it is iniust either in God or Man to condemne vs as sinners for breaking the Law The Colour for why should that action be censured of sinne which so abundantly redoundeth to the glory of God c Vers. 7. For if the Truth of God hath more abounded through my lie vnto his glorie why yet am I also iudged as a sinner The third and last and worst Inference If so then it is a good and a wise resolution Let vs sinne freely and boldly commit euill The Colour for why should we feare to do that from which so much good may come in this verse of my Text And not rather Let vs doe euill that good may come This last cauilling Inference § 3. Diuision the Apostle in this verse both bringeth in and casteth out againe bringeth in as an obiection and casteth out by his answere An answere which at once cutteth off both it and the former inferences And the Answere is double Ad rem ad hominem That concerneth the force and matter of the obiection this the state and danger of the obiectors Ad rem in the former part of the verse And not rather as we be slanderously reported and as some affirme that we say Let vs de euil that good may come Ad hominem in the latter end Whose damnation is iust In the former part there is an Obiection and the Reiection of it The Obiection And not rather Let vs do euill that good may come The Reiection thereof with a Non sequitur implying not onely the bare inconsequence of it vpon the Apostles Conclusion but withall and especially the falsenesse and vnsoundnesse of it taken by it selfe As wee be slanderously reported and as some affirme that we say Let vs do euill c. My ayme at this present is to insist especially vpon a Principle of practique Diuinitie § 4. and Summe of the Text. which by ioynt consent of Writers old and new Orthodoxe and Popish resulteth from the very body of this verse and is of right good vse to direct vs in sundry difficulties which daily arise in vita communi in point of Conscience The Principle is this we must not do any euill that any good may come of it Yet there are besides this in the Text diuers other inferiour obseruations not to bee neglected With which I thinke it wil not be amisse to begin and to dispatch them first briefly that so I may fall the sooner and stay the longer vpon that which I mainely intend Obserue first the Apostles Method § 5. OBSER 1. Diuine truths must be cleared from cauill and substantiall maner of proceeding how hee cleareth all as he goeth how diligent he is and carefull betimes to remoue such cauils though he a Propter hos arguendos fecit Paulus hîc quasi digressionem tractando haec Caietan in hune locum step a little out of his way for it as might bring scandall to the Truth he had deliuered When we preach and instruct others we should not thinke it enough to deliuer positiue truths but we should take good care also as neere as we can to leaue them cleare and by preuention to stop the mouthes of such as loue to picke quarrels at the Truth and to barke against the light It were good we would so farre as our leisure and gifts will permit wisely forecast and preuent all offence that might be taken at any part of Gods truth and be carefull as not to broach any thing that is false through rashnesse error or intemperance so not to betray any truth by ignorant handling or by superficiall slight and vnsatisfying answers But then especially concerneth it vs to bee most carefull herein when wee haue to speake before such as we haue some cause before-hand to suspect to be through ignorance or weaknesse or custome or education or preiudice or partiall affections or otherwise contrary-minded vnto or at leastwise not well perswaded of those Truths wee are to teach If the wayes be rough and knotty and the passengers feeble-ioynted and darke-sighted it is but needfull the guides should remoue as many blockes and stones out of the way as may bee When we haue gone as warily as we can to worke Cauillers if they list will take exceptions it is our part to see wee giue them not the aduantage lest wee helpe to iustifie the Principals by making our selues Accessories Those men are ill aduised how euer zealous for the Truth that stirre in controuersed points and leaue them worse then they found them b Aut animo demas aut viribus addas Dictum Archidami ad filium Stomake will not beare out a man without strength and to encounter an aduersarie are required c As Zuinglius said of Carolosladius whom he iudged too weake to vndertake the defence of the Truth against Luther in the point of Consubstantiation Non saâ—is humerorum habet Sleidan Shoulders as well as gall A good cause is neuer betrayed more then when it is prosecuted with much eagernesse but little sufficiencie This from the method Obserue secondly the Apostles manner of speech OBSERV II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 §. 6. The Slandey of the Ministers regular doctrine is more then an ordinary Slander Translators render it As we are wrongfully blaâ—ed As we are slandered As we are slanderously reported And the word indeede from the a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Originall importeth no more and so Writers both Prophane and Sacred vse it But yet in Scriptures by a Specialty it most times signifieth the highest degree of Slander when we open our mouthes against God and speake ill or amisse or vnworthily of God that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and properly the sin wee call Blasphemy And yet that very word of Blasphemy which for the most part referreth immediately to GOD the Apostle heere vseth when hee speaketh of himselfe and other Christian Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we are slandred nay as we are blasphemed A slander or other wrong or contempt done to a Minister quâ— talis is a sinne of a higher straine then the same done to a common Christian. Not at all for his Persons sake for so hee is no more Gods good creature then the other no more free b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 14. 15. Iam. 5. 17. from sinnes and infirmities and passions then the other But for his Callings sake for so he is Gods c 2. Cor. 5. 20. Embassadour which the other is not and for his workes sake for that is Gods d 1. Thes. 2. 13. message which the others is not Personall Slanders and Contempts are to a Minister but as to another man because his person
are not vpon I know not what light surmizes or suspicions to iudge with what spirits or with what dispositions of heart wee preach Whether we c 1. Phi. 15. 16 17 18 preach Christ of enuie and strife or of good will whether sincerely or of contention whether in pretence or in truth it is our owne good or hurt we must answere for that and at our perill be it if we do not looke to that But what is that to you Notwithstanding euery way so long as it is Christ and his truth which are preached it is your part therein to reioyce If an d Gal. 1. 8 9. Angel from heauen should preach any vntruth vnto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him bee accursed but if the very Diuell of hell should preach the truth he must be heard and beleeued and obeyed So long as e Math. 23. 2. 3 Scribes and Pharises hold them to Moses Text and Doctrine let them be as damned f Woe vnto you Scribes and Pharises Hypocrites Math. 23. 13 14 c. Hypocrites as Scribes and Pharises can bee yet all whatsoeuer they bid you obserue that you are to obserue and do Let mee then demand Did I euer deliuer any vntruth It had beene well done then to haue shewne it that I might haue acknowledged and retracted it Did I speake nothing but the truth with what conscience then could any that heard me say as yet I heare some did That I preached factiously That I came to cast bones among them That I might haue chosen a fitter Text That I might haue had as much thankes to haue kept away For Faction I hate it my desire and ayme next after the good of your soules was aboue all the Peace of the Church and the Vnity of Brethren For casting bones if that must needs be the phrase they were cast in these parts long before my comming by that great enemy to peace and vnity and busie sower of discord the Diuell otherwise I should not haue found at my first comming such snarling about them and such g Gal. 5. 15. biting and deâ—ouring one another as I did My endeuour was rather to haue gathered vp the bones and to haue taken away the matter of difference I meane the errour in iudgement about and inconformity in practice vnto the lawful Ceremonies of the Church that so if it had been possible all might haue beene quiet without despising or iudging one another for these things For thankes I hold not that worth the answering alas it is a poore ayme for Gods Minister to preach for thankes For the choyce of my Text and Argument both then and now how is it not vnequall that men who plead so as none more for liberty and plainnesse in reprouing sinne should not allow those that come amongst them that liberty and plainenesse against themselues and their owne sinnes I dare noâ— appeale to your selues Haue you neuer beene taught that it is the Ministers dutie as to oppose against all errours and sinnes in the generall so to bend himselfe as neere as he can especially against the apparant errours and sinnes of his present auditorie And doe you not beleeue it is so Why then might I not nay how ought I not bend my speech both then against a common errour of sundry in these parts in point of Ceremony and now against the late petulancy or at least ouersight of some mis-guided ones The noise of these things abroad and the scandall taken thereat by such as heare of them and the ill fruits of them at home in breeding iealousies and cherishing contentions among neighboâ—rs cannot but stirre vs vp if wee be sensible as euery good member should be of the damage and losse the Church acquireth by them to put you in minde and to admonish you as opportunities inuite vs both priuately and publiquely Is it not time trow yee to thrust in the sickle when the fields looke white vnto the Haruest Is it not time our Pulpits should a little eccho of these things when all the Country farre and neere ringeth of them For my owne part how euer others censure me I am sure my owne heart telleth mee I could not haue discharged my Conscience if beeing called to this place I should haue balked what either then or now I haue deliuered My conscience prompting mee all circumstances considered that these things were pro hîc nunc necessary to bee deliuered rather then any other if for any outward inferiour respect I should haue passed them ouer with silence I thinke I should haue much swarued from the Rule of my Text and haue done a great euill that some small good might come of it But many thousand times better were it for me that all the world should censure mee for speaking what they thinke I should not then that my owne heart should condemne mee for not speaking what it telleth me I should And thus much of things simply euill I should proceed to apply this Rule Wee must not doe euill §. 35. The conclusion that good may come vnto euils not simply but accidentally such and that both in the generall and also in some few specials of greatest vse namely vnto euils which become such through Conscience Scandall or Comparison In my choyce of this Scripture I aymed at all this had gathered much of my prouision for it But the Cases beeing many and weighty I foresaw I could not goe onward with my first proiect without much wronging one of both either the things themselues if I should contract my speech to the scantling of time or you if I should lengthen it to the waight of the matter And therefore I resolued here to make an end and to giue place as fit it is to the businesse whereabout we meet The Totall of what I haue said and should say is in effect but this No pretension of a good end of a good meaning of a good euent of any good whatsoeuer either can sufficiently warrant any sinfull action to be done or iustifie it being done or sufficiently excuse the Omission of any necessarie dutie when it is necessarie Consider what I say and the Lord giue you vnderstanding in all things Now to God the Father Sonne and holy Spirit c. FINIS