Zach. 8. 16. Execute the judgement of Truth and Peace in your gates By the third our soules health and happinesse are maintained while we see know beleeve and rest upon those excellent and saving truths which God hath in his word revealed to us in the plainenesse and simplicity of the sense not denying or doubting any thing but humbly and willingly embracing every truth revealed as it agrees to the generall rule and Analogy of Faith contained in the holy Scriptures this is Veritas fidei religionis The first truth wee gaine by senses and discourse The second by common notions or inbred principles of reason The third by divine revelation depending upon the veracitie infaâ—libility and authority of God No truth is to be neglected because it is a beame or lineament of God but those are most to bee loved and esteemed which discover God most cleerly to us bring us nearest and make us likest to him This as the most excellent and usefull truth I chiefly here understand which exceeds all others as much as the soule doth the body or eternity a moment And in this mens hearts are most prone to be negligent and coldly affected 2. Peace Peace in any kinde and under any notion is sweet and lovely {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Naz. We can better tell what it is by the fruition than description of it what health is to the body and calmnesse to the sea and serenity to the day such is peace which ariseth from the fit orderly and proportionable disposing of things It is a kinde of sweet divine and heavenly concent harmony or beauty of things subordinate one to another Such it is first peace in nature and the greater World from the wise and apt combination of creatures by symbolicall qualities so contempered that all agree to make up one intire body the World 2. In the lesser worlds of mixt bodies Peace is that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} due temper and moderation of humours and parts which keep their true place and proportion Quá quodlibet corpus non minus appetit unitatem suam quam entitatem 3. In the rationall World Peace is that composednesse and tranquillity of the soule whereby all the inferiour faculties and the populacy of affections or passions are regular and subject to the rule and soveraignty of reason 4. In the spirituall world the regenerate soule Peace is the humble and willing subjection and sutablenesse of the conscience in all things to the Will and Spirit of God 5. In the Politicall or civill world the State or Church Peace is the setling and due ordering of things by just Lawes of government and by true grounds or rules of Piety and Religion whereto all submit It consists {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in the right skill of governing and will to be governed When all agree in one thing all think speak and do by the same thing all conspire in one maine end the glory of God and the publick good which is the supreame Law when all are setled on one ground move by one rule and tend to one end Truth Order and Iustice are the only foundation and pillars of Peace in both Church and Common-wealth 2. The second consideration is the union of the two Truth and Peace In God they are united and so in every good soule well ordered Church or State they may and doe best agree together no firme or durable peace which is not fastned and cemented with truth so false and pernicious a principle is that of some that the lesse men know of truth the more easily they will bee kept in Peace that the way to subdue men to an asinine patience is to cast them into an asinine ignorance Whereas on the contrary no men or minds are more obedientially disposed to an heroick patience as to the burthens pressures and exactions upon their states and liberties c. than they who are best informed how little all these worldly things are to be valued having hopes of farre better And no men are more stubbornely contumacious refractory and prone to flame to rebellion and munity than they who know and expect no better or higher good than those of sense and present life who think you robbe them of their heaven God and all happinesse if you injure them in their estates honours or liberties Those subjects are most shie and prone to start from obedience and fall from peace who live by Moone-light of humane reason and senses onely which amazeth their minds with the shadowes of good in riches pleasures honours and liberties temporall and walke not by the Sunne-shine of divine truth which discovers the onely necessary excellent and satisfactory objects worthy of the soules love and acceptance for nothing is truly lovely which is not spirituall and eternall No such bonds of peace and unity then as the spirit of truth which ties the conscience to obedience and patience The wisdome from above is first pure then peaceable James 3. 17. So that they best may march together but first truth then peace Truth must have the precedence rather truth than peace Truth wee owe to God and our soules immediately peace onely to our bodies and states c. If one must be despensed withall it is peace not truth better truth without publique peace than peace without saving truth Truth alone will bring us peace the best peace Christs peace which the world can neither give nor take away Pax est omni bello tristior quae veritatis justitiae ruinâ constat That peace is farre to deare which costs us the losse of truth I meane great saving necessary and fundamentall truth 2 Where these truths are asserted study to adde peace to them that truth may root spread fasten and fructifie the more Nor is the publique peace to bee violated for every truth such as neither tends to faith nor much to good manners Dissidiis magnis controversis non sunt redimendae minores istae veritates Wee must not by contention of tongues or pens or hands so farre vindicate truths of lesser size and consequence as to break the peace of our affections words and conversations Let truth and peace then goe together in our loves and lives Truth as the root peace as the fruit Truth as the light Peace as heat truth as the foundation peace as the structure And certainely in the Church those tenets and propositions are likeliest to be true which tend to the peace of the Church as it was the true mother which pleaded against the dividing of the child And that peace in the civill state is likeliest to be lasting and sound which is built on the Truth of Reason and Religion both and not upon the fancies opinions dictates traditions examples and tyranny of custome and men Neither peace of Church nor State is to be purchased with the sale of Truth saving and necessary
nor yet are all truths to be prosecuted with such vehemencie heate and contention as to make Shipwrack of eithers peace The windowes and lights of truth must not bee so enlarged as to weaken the firmenesse solidity and entirenesse of the building Nor may the Walls be so thick close and compacted as to exclude or obscure the light which the Turks doe who so farre secure their peace as they forbid the searching of Truth neither darknesse may make the house of God uselesse nor breaches under pretence of letting in more light may bee made so wide as to render the edifice unsafe and tottering As divine Truth of Religion so civill truth of Judicature and Peace must kisse each other Here the veracity and conscience of Iudges and Magistrates is chiefely required that they bee Men of truth Exod. 18. 21. For false corrupt and unjust Iudges like Comets portend warres and commotions in a state scattering so malignant an influence into mens minds that every one had rather adventure the injuries of warre than suffer the injustice of peace 4 The Lovelinesse of them which will best appeare by the benefits from them why truth and peace are to be loved 1 Civill or Politicall truth is the mind of the Law the rule of Iustice the right measuring and distribution of things to every one according as equity and reason require By this truth the propriety and enjoyment of what is our own are maintained fraud injuries and violence detected punished and restrained Innocencie releeved industry maintained and incouraged due rewards to vertue and merit as well as punishments to sinne and vice are dispensed In a word the safety of your persons wives children houses lands goods honours liberties lives and all that is deare to you in this world depends upon this truth in Iudicature without which no Society of men can subsist at least not flourish but degenerate to a poore and slavish vassalage and such a lazie despondency of minds which sink them next degree to beasts seeking no more but to live having no thoughts or designes generous noble or extending beyond the present supply of back and belly See then how much they deserve publique hatred who through feare or flattery or base and sinister ends falsifie the minde of the Law at once cutting asunder that great Cable which holds the state from shipwrack turning the sword of justice put into their unworthy hands to cut the throat of lawes and liberties 2 The lovelinesse and benefit of Divine truth revealed whereon our Faith our Religion our Soules our Church depends is so great that no time or words serve to let it forth By this light of sacred truth we know our selves in our worst lost sinfull and damnable estate wherein else as heathen or beasts we should stupidly and miserably die and perish By this we know God in his infinite mercies through Christ which is life eternall Ioh. 17.3 By this we discover his grace and love to us for our free justification by the righteousnesse of Christ and sanctification by his Spirit By this truth the burthens of our sinnes our feares our miseries the horrour of death hell and eternity are disarmed and releeved by this blessed light of truth wee have many sweet and precious promises to support us in all states and all tryals and temptions But this as Moses from Mount Nebo we discover the pleasant and happy prospect of heaven and eternity the joyes peace pleasure happinesse and security of that after-state wee expect in the other world we see a full though future victory over sinne fatan flesh world men death hell and all a full tryumph and crowning of the soule and body in eternall glory You may see then how little experience or knowledge they have of this truth and the comforts by it who are weary of it enemies or indifferent to it Better not have the truth than having it to want the love of it 3 The amiablenesse of peace publick and Nationall in Church or State it is like the smiling of a beautifull face when peace flourisheth with truth O how lovely is it at once to serve God with purity and safety with sincerity and security to enjoy the blessings of Gods right and left hand together To eat every man with joy and cheerfulness of heart the fruit of his owne vine and plantings to reape the harvest hee hath sowed to dwell in the house hee hath builded to enjoy the wife he hath espoused and the children he hath begotten Your owne long and happy experience may best teach you what is the beauty and sweetnesse of the breasts of peace whence plenty flowes Learning Arts industry trading thrive and prosper your private and in them the publike strength honour and treasure increaseth God grant you be not taught to prize and be thankfull for it by the want of it your selves look over Sea on the sad and black Characters which fire famine and sword have wrot nay ingraven and ploughed upon the faces of men women and children on their houses fields vineyards Cities Churches c. and you may with weeping and amazed eyes reade this lesson O the sweet and lovely blessings of Truth and Peace O the horrid hideous deformity of errours and warres En quo discordia gentes Perduxit miseras 3 Wee come now to the third generall head having seene what truth and peace are how well they agree how much they merit our love now we goe on to the last part which is our duty Therefore love them Here wee will inquire two particulars 1. What need there is that men should bee thus exhorted to love these which have so attractive a lovelinesse in them 2. Wherein most effectually wee must expresse our love to them I Although nothing more deserve our love yet such is the ignorance dulnesse or depravednesse of mens mindes affections and manners that few there are which truely love them First some love neither Truth nor Peace of which temper the Iesuitick spirit seemes to be which deceives the Nations with the Cup of errour and scatters coales of fire and dissention among men Secondly some love truth but not peace zealously affected to truth but for want of sound and steddy knowledge or meeke and humble hearts they are full of violence and bitternesse so prone to strife and contention that from words and disputes they easily kindle to blowes Some when you speak to them of peace prepare for war Quia multis utile bellum their best fishing being in troubled waters Thirdly some love peace but not truth as Ishachar sluggishly couching between the burthens of Superstition and Oppression rather than trouble their Peace in a land of plenty Out of a lazie grosse and sensuall humour so addicted to the enjoyments of peace that they care not what encroachments are made on Truth Fourthly many seeme to love them but not simply per se and propter se but corruptly and partially for by-ends and advantages to bee had by them
THE LOVE OF TRVTH AND PEACE A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE HONOVRABLE HOVSE OF COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT Novemb. 29. 1640. By IOHN GAUDEN Bachelor in Divinity Published by order of that House LONDON Printed by G. M. for Andrew Crooke in Pauls Church-yard at the Greene Dragon 1641. TO THE HONORABLE HOUSE OF COMMONS Assembled in PARLIAMENT SVch is the powerfull and universall influence which the great and noble Constellation of your House bath under God and the King over all that are members of this State that none with modesty may deny your desires or with safety at least of their discretion disobey your Commands So irresistible a force must the intimation of that Will carry which proceeds from somany wise and excellent judgements united together This may sufficiently justifie my obedience in presenting this Sermon to your and the publique view which not any self-forwardnesse or over-valuing hath obtruded It was enough in the Authors opinion if not too much that so sudden and abortive conceptions had once adventured the Hearing of so Learned Pious and Judicious an Assembly Where obtaining through Gods blessing some approbation by doing some good I hope they were further by the vote of your Honorable House required to be Printed Which they now are and with all Humilitie presented to your Acceptance That at once I may both cast in a mite to Gods glory in the publique good which should be the end of all our actions and also testifie a minde vehemently sensible of and thankfull for those free and Noble expressions of favour generally from the whole House and particularly from some members of it my speciall friends conferred upon me What good others may now get from these notions I know not I pray and hope they may not be wholly uselesse to candid pious and unprejudiced mindes since your censure hath allowed them as fit and necessary for our times This I am sure your wisedome and pietie are above all others by the publication of this Sermon more straightly obliged in conscience to justifie before God and man your desires and opinion of it by your proceedings answerable to the subject and intent of it which is the love of Truth and Peace The splendor of so many cleer mindes concentred in Truth cannot but kindle to a publique love of it And from the sacred light and heate of so many wise and warm hearts the life sweetnesse and abundance of our Peace cannot but grow and flourish That this may be the happy successe wherewith with God will be pleased to crown your publique endevours as also these which from my private Pen are now adopted unto your so great and Honorable protection is the earnest prayer of Your most humble Servant GAUDEN THE LOVE OF TRUTH AND PEACE ZACH. 8.19 Thus saith the Lord The fast of the tenth moneth shall be to the house of Iudah joy and gladnesse and cheerefull feasts therefore love the Truth and Peace THough the weight of this Service and Imployment be so great that it might well have required abler shoulders to bear it and longer time to prepare for it and not to have put Sauls Armour on Davids backe Yet that I may not be wanting to Gods glory my own conscience or your desires and expectation I have adventured to appear this day in this place before this Honorable Grave and Judicious assembly Nothing did more encourage me against the greatnesse of the Work the shortnesse of the Time and the insufficiency of my own Abilities than the auspicious fitnesse and readinesse of this Text so every way sutable as I conceive 1. To the Auditors 2. To the Times 3. To the present Occasion 1. To the Auditors who are or should be all Filii veritatis alumni pacis Lovers of Truth and Peace professors of Truth and protectors of Peace being called together by his sacred Majesty and Deputed by the Countrey to be Counsellors and Vindicators of Truth and Peace 2. To the Genius of our Times nothing is more needfull to be preached than the love of Truth and Peace The Winters distemper of our age is such that the Love of many if not most is grown cold to both Truth much obscured depraved blemished prejudiced undermined discountenanced suppressed Peace very crazy and shaken rumors of wars preparations for wars study of sides parts great division of thoughts pertinacy in opinions breeding disaffections and disaffections flaming to open contention and hostility so far as from the strife of pens and tongues writing and disputing we are come to the terror of war to swords and arms That if the great God who is the Father of Truth and Peace who refraines the spirits of men that delight in warre had not been gracious unto us and inclined the heart of our King to Counsells of Peace you had not this day been Auditors nor I a Speaker of this Theam but all of us miserable actors or spectators of the contrary the suppression of Truth and utter subversion of our Peace 3. The Text suits to the present occasion of the Sacrament Your late fasting is this day happily turned to a cheerfull feast your Water changed to Wine the best viands the best wine the soules provision for eternity the body and bloud of Christ A soules feast a feast of exceeding joy of eternall gladnesse A feast of love Gods love to us Christs love for us our love to them and to each other A Feast of Truth the sealing and confirmation of the highest most necessary and comfortable truth which received by faith is able to save our soules And a feast of Peace too the most glorious peace between God and our soules between Christ and his Church between one another So that nothing can come more seasonably after your Fast and with this Feast of spirituall joy the holy Sacrament then this divine exhortation most worthy of God to teach and of us to learn as men and as Christians both which names import a speciall relation we have above all creatures under heaven to Truth and Peace as we are {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} rationall and sociall creatures as {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} regenerate and sanctified by the Spirit which raiseth our souls to the enjoyment of the highest Truth and Peace which is in God and from God bringing the soul to God and uniting it ever with him The three words in the Text whereon I purpose to insist are a sacred Trinity Three precious Jewels Truth Peace and Love all eminent in God and from him objects and affections of the highest capacity use and excellencie to our souls Truth as the light of the Sunne Peace as the heat which enlivens fosters quickens makes fruitfull all Love makes us enjoy them both Truth and Peace are Bona publica universalia Truth for the soule Peace for the body and state every one hath a share and interest in them Prince Peeres and People Of these I intend to speak not as
a Statist or Politician to which I pretend not but as a Divine a Messenger from the God of Truth and Peace seeking to kindle and inflame your hearts to such a love of them as may be most happy to your own souls and most beneficiall to our Church and State in the good of both which you are all highly concerned and in nothing can you promote the prosperity of either or both of them more then in your Love and advancement of Truth and Peace May God the Fountain of Truth Christ the Saviour of Love the holy Ghost the Spirit of Peace assist me in speaking you in hearing all in doing so as we may shew a pure impartiall and unpassionate love of Truth and Peace In the words consider three things First the inference Therefore Secondly the objects propounded Truth and Peace Thirdly the dutie required Love Every word hath a weight beauty and benefit in it so that they well merit and require your attention First the inference Therefore The greater mercies God shewes to us the stricter obligations to love and obedience he hath upon us When our fasting and mourning are happily turned to cheerfull feasts our feares and jealousies cleered up to joy and gladnesse to hopes of better estate and times what doth God require of us but this Therefore to love the Truth and Peace When Gods infinite mercy and patience to us hath beyond expectation as well as desert brought back our Church and State from the brink and precipice of warre ruine and confusion which threatned our Peace From the spreading and prevailings of errours heresies schismes and superstition which strive to oppress or eclipse our Church and Truth That there is a breathing space a lengthning of our tranquillity put into our hands What doth God require of us by way of gratitude to him of loyalty to our Soveraign of fidelitie to our Countrey then to Love the Truth and Peace which are so happily still continued to us and by an active serious and industrious love to study the setling and recovery of them both Secondly the Objects propounded here we will consider First What Truth is Secondly What Peace Thirdly The union of them Truth and Peace Fourthly The lovelinesse in them which best appears in the benefit by them so as to merit our affection 1. Of Truth That question of Pilate to Christ will here be made What is Truth I answer It is a conformity agreeablenesse or answerablenesse of our mindes or things to their Ideas patternes rules or measures As that Copy is true which agrees with the Originall That weight or measure true which fits the Standard That impression true in waxe or paper which exactly fits the types and engravings That notion or perception true in the minde or sense which agrees with the nature of the thing or object whereto they are applyed Truth is the increated light of the intellectaull world shining from God to Angels and Men The first Idea rule measure or Standard of Truth is God his Will which I call Veritas Dei Whereby he is what he is essentially simply immutably by which he wils all things to be what indeed they are and knowes them to be such as they are most certainly This Sunne of Truth is in God never clouded spotted or eclipsed never setting or changing Eternall light day noone a constant serenity From this is the eradiation of Truth or shining forth of the Divine will by his Works and Word Which we call Veritas Rei and this is first Entitatis whereby things are such as God would have them to be and so are true and good Secondly Veritas mentis whereby things are known or believed by us to be such as indeed they are either made or revealed by God to us this is the truth of science or faith Thirdly Hence flows Veritas sermonis of dicti when our words and orall expressions are conformable to our knowledge and belief or things speaking the truth Ephes. 4. 15. Fourthly Veritas facti Vitae whereby our actions are conformable to what we say and seem to know judge or believe of things which is the doing of the Truth 1. Ioh. 1. 6. The Idea or pattern of our actions are our words of our words our minds and conceptions of our minds things themselves of all things the Divine will most wise powerfull and immutably good All Truth as being is originally from God as a Sea and Sun derived and must by a right beam and clear stream be reduced to him again and so it is when we do as we speak when we speak as we think know or believe when we know or believe as things are either made or revealed by God Then doth the ray or veyn of truth flow aright from God to us and reflect back again from us to him When in any of these we fail there comes in hypocrisie and simulation in our actions lying in our words error falsity and unbelief in our mindes when our actions contradict our words our words our mindes our mindes the nature and truth of things made or revealed by God whose will in his works and word is as I said the rule of Truth There are divers manifestations of truth though it be but one yet as light shining through divers pores or one Fountain derived in severall Conduits for the benefit of rationall creatures First There is Truth naturall or physicall in the Works of God which by sense and discourse by art and science we learn Secondly There is Truth morall politicall or civil which is in the enacting interpreting and executing of Laws according to the rules of Justice Thirdly there is a truth Theologicall supernaturall or religious which chiefly concerns our Souls and is immediately taught from God The first is in the Works of God and Nature The second in the laws and edicts of men agreeable to principles of reason The third is in the sacred Scriptures the only foundation and rule of faith and religion The first concerns us as creatures severally The second as sociable creatures joyntly in a state or Common-wealth The third as Christians in a Church and neerer call or relation to God The first requires our love to it as we love our selves in a naturall way the second as wee love our Countrey relations and liberties the third as we love our soules By the first the health and welfare of our bodies and pleasure of our senses fancies and minds are maintained while we know and enjoy the true vertues power and use of creatures able to apply fit meanes to our ends By the second the health of the state or body politick is preserved while Lawes which are the nerves and ligaments of civil societies are grounded upon innate infallible and eternall principles of equity reason and justice to which all men agree and being so constituted are truly interpreted and executed not wrested depraved obscured or violently broken this is veritas justitiae decisionis the truth in judicature
long time beleeved to be such Sed oculos à rebus omnibus abducas quae Deus non sunt si veritatem quaeras Esay 8. 20. To the Law and to the Testimony Joh. 5.29 Search the Scriptures from these wells must we draw the waters of life purifying refreshing and saving truths {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} The Veyn and Mine of truth hath many windings and intricate turnings requiring a sagacious and industrious minde to follow it 2 Shew your love to truth by propagating and imparting it to others when your selves have discovered it Veritas nihil erubescit praeterquam abscondi Truth is onely ashamed to bee hidden as the Sunne to be clouded or eclipsed Truth as light wasts not by communicating it selfe to others Quò communius bonum eò divinitus Shew your love to it and to men by teaching it to others but in a calme and unpassionate way truth is best seene in cleare and untroubled waters {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Ephes. 4. 15. Speaking the truth in love Pittying not triumphing in others ignorance or reproaching their errors and weaknesse of judgement Farther shew your love by using all meanes to plant and nourish truth by setting up the lights of good and painefull Preachers in the dark and obscure corners of our Land where God knowes many poore soules perish for want of knowledge such I meane as can and will rightly divide the Word of truth 1 Tim. 2. 15. There is no engine you can invent so effectuall to batter down and demollish the adverse party or to secure the prosperitie of our Church and State But this will hardly be done without encouraging men to the study and preaching of truth in the way of necessary competent and liberall maintenance for it is most certaine as Bishop lewell sometime told Queen Elizabeth in a Sermon Tenuitatem beneficiorum necessario sequitur ignorantia sacerdotum Never flatter your selves that the Lampes of the Temple will burne at all or but very dimly and poorely if you supply them not with Oyle sufficient to enliven themselves and enlighten others 3. Shew your love of truth by a zealous active and constant maintaining of it Zeale is flamma amoris Love raised to a flame by all justifiable wayes asserting the honour of it and the professors of it against the profanenesse idlenesse envy calumnies and oppositions of the enemies thereof either Atheists sensuall ignorant or superstitious 2 Cor. 13. 8. We can doe nothing against the truth but for the truth doe all you lawfully may by severe and wholesome Edicts fencing in and fortifying truth against the Seminary incursions of those that seeke to encroach upon its ancient bounds also against the bold and impudent Preaching Printing and Disputing for the contrary errors which have beene long agoe exploded and confuted which by misused power or tacit connivence seeke to creepe in and undermine our truth Leakes may sinke us as well as rockes split us Jude 3. Contend then earnestly for the truth but with the power of Gods not mans arme of flesh with a contention of love not of force such as may not destroy men but their errors which otherwise will destroy them Truth is so sufficiently armed with its owne power that it needes not the assistance of the Sword or Canon which reach not the minds of men nor can divide them from their errors nor batter downe the {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} strong holds of prepossessed false opinions That excellency if power which is in the Word of God and his Spirit is onely able to subdue the understanding Yet must not the Magistrate so farre be wanting to Gods glory and the Churches good as to faile to defend truth against those that by cunning or force seeke to subvert it setting up the just t 〈…〉 or of those Lawes which may chase away those Owles and Bats and ferall Birds that love darkenesse and portend a night where ever they appeare that cannot endure the light because their workes are evill as well as their doctrines false 4. Shew your love to the Truth as by doing for it all you can so by obeying the truth from the heart 1 Pet. 1. 22. by living conformably to it that there be no solaecisme in your lives that the truth of your doctrine be not confuted by the corruptnesse of your manners not onely seeking the truth and speaking the truth and defending the truth but farther doing the Truth 1 John 1. 6. which is the strongest vindication of its honour and your beleefe of it There is a labour of love which loves its labour ready to deny our selves in any thing neere or deare to us rather than deny any saving truth chearefully suffering for it rather than it should suffer a good minde that loves the truth suffers more in truthes suppression than its owne yea by dying for it if need be and God choose us out for his champions to crowne and improve the necessity of death with the glory of martyrdome which is the highest witnessing of our love to God and his Truth Difficulties rather whâ—â— and twist to a firmer resolution than any way blâ—t or discourage a well placed affection The Heathen man set such a price on truth that he thought it worth our life Vitamque impendere vero Nec propter vitam vivendi perdere causam It is a blind preposterous love that loves life better then that for which onely life is worth the having better we dye than truth decay which as a Phoe nix is wont to renew its life out of martyrs ashes 5 Lastly what we come short in doing or suffering for the love of truth at least seeke to supply by our frequent and fervent prayers to God that hee would so make the way and carry on his truth that it may prevalile upon the hearts of men to a love of it But in this variety of Opinions and Distraction of sides every one challenging truth to be on their party How shall we know what is that Truth which we ought to love and adhere unto I Answer the Truth of God like the light of the Sunne is best knowne and distinguished from all other by the beauty and excellency of its effects of life heate and fertillity that is infallibly the saving and necessary truth of God most deserving our love and study which hath and alwayes had the greatest and best influence on mens hearts and lives that is Gods truth which makes men more godly more holy pure just good humble peaceable charitable selfe-denying and consciencious in all their wayes What brings us nearest and makes us likest to God which conformes us most to that highest and divinest patterne of Christs minde and conversation It hath beene alwayes the Seale of honour set upon Christian Religion and that truth whereon it is founded that it most magnifies God and goodnesse Those truths which have the greatest operation on mens mindes consciences and lives so as to
of such men Whether they have any intent to reedifie Babels ruines or no I cannot tell some vehemently suspect it sure I am there is such a confussion and noveltie of Language affectated by some men of Altars Sacrifice Priests Corporiety of presence pennance auricular Confession Absolute that is blinde obedience the holy of holys and Adoration which must bee salved from a flat Idolatry or at best an empty formality by some distinction or notion that must be ready at hand that most people know not what they meane what they would have or what they intend to call for next Not that I am ignorant how farre pious antiquity did use these and such like words innocently without ill mind or meaning and without offence to the Church as then times were yet let mee tell you 1. Such swerving from the forme of sound words used in the Primitive and purest times occasioned and strengthened after errours 2. They were not then ingaged to mainetaine Truth against such erroneous and pernicious Doctrines as we now are of the reformed Church which Doctrines are now eagerly maintained by a proud faction who seeke to abuse antiquity and patronize their owne errours by using those names and words to other intents and things than ever was dreamed of by the Ancient Church 3. By such dangerous symbolizing with them in words and some outward formalities we doe but prepare our mindes and sweeten them with lesse distaste to relish their Doctrines and Tenets and as it were in a civill way wee complement our selves out of our Truth giving the adversaries strong hopes and presumptions as they have discovered that wee are inclining towards them To bee ashamed of frequent serious and conscientious preaching which was the worke of Christ and the holy Apostles the honour and chiefe imployment of the Primitive and best Bishops and Ministers in all ages as that deservedly famous Bishop Iewell in his Apologie prooves out of the Fathers sufficiently against the Popes and other idle bellyes which count preaching as a work below their greatnesse as indeede it is above their goodnesse Is this to love the truth To preach ridiculous impertinent flattering or corrupt matter which is the shame of the Pulpit and foolishnesse of preaching in good earnest so as to bring an infinite contempt odium and envie upon the Sacred function of the Ministry that men abhorre the Services of God and daily separate by swarmes from our Church are these the fruites of our love of the Truth Pudet haec opprobria nobis c. Sure there is something extreamely amisse and displeasing to God as well as men either in our Doctrine or manners or hearts or all Else whence should that burthen of dishonour those loades of reproaches be cast upon the Clergy which makes them drive so heavily and this even among Christians and reformed Churches whereas naturally all men though otherwise barbarous and insolent yet are prone to pay a speciall reverence and double honour to their holy men such as are in a more immediate neerenesse and relation to their deitie or gods Now truth carries a Divine Majesty and lustre with it casting a glory on every Moses or Man of God who converseth with it The more truth there is in any religion the more love and honour will arise from the professours to the Preachers of it if they seriously affect the one they cannot scornefully neglect the other God himselfe hath long agoe taught all men especially Church-men in Elyes heavy doome this lesson as an infallible maxime in point of True honour 1 Sam. 2. 30. Those that honour me I will honour and those that despise me shall be lightly regarded Saint Paul gives a charge to Timothy 1 Tim. 4. 12. and to Titus Tit. 2. 15. both Bishops Let no man despise thee c. One would think the Apostle should rather have charged the Ephesians and Cretians not to despise them but the Apostle shewes the true way for Ministers to be Masters of mens love and affections is to be a holy rule and example to mens life and actions To Timothy But be thou an example in word in conversation in love in spirit in faith and in purenesse 1 Tim 4. 12. To Titus Shewing thy selfe a patterne Tit. 2. 7. Certainely had Divines both great and small beene more busied in preaching and practising those great weighty and necessary Truths that are able to save their owne and others soules they would not have had such leisure to have beene so inventive and operative in poore beggerly toyes and trifles which neither bring honour nor profit to God themselves or others Nothing I say nothing will restore the Church and Church-men to their Pristine honour love and authority in mens hearts and minds but a serious setting of themselves to the study preaching and practising of Truth and Peace in a holy life These these were the Arts these the Policies these the pious fraudes and stratagems by which anciently they won peoples hearts to love God his truth and of themselves the witnesse of it To such a height of honour and extasie of love that they received them as Angels of God Embassadors from Heaven counting them deare as their right eyes Humility Piety and industry layd the foundation of all those magnificent structures dignities titles places revenues priviledges wherwith Church-men were anciently indowed what hath or is likely to wast and demolish them is easie to conjecture Iisdem artibus retinenda quibus olim parabantur O consider then I beseech you how precious a jewell how sweete and necessary a blessing we are like to loose by our want of love to it Solem e mundo tollunt what the Sun is to the world that is Gods Truth to our soule the light life joy day and soule of our soules As the darkenesse barrennesse coldnesse and deformity of the earth would be if the Sunne were alwayes absent from it or clouded to it such will the state of our poore soules and our Church be if the healing wings of the Sun of righteousnesse Truth be quite removed or onely a winters Truth clouded deaded and obscured by many superstitious Doctrines and practifes If I say such a truth content us where will be the chearefull light of the promises which now wee enjoy where that onely rock of the soules comfort which no temptation can shake or undermine the free Iustification of our soules by faith in the merits of Christ onely where the sound and well grounded peace of our consciences where the warmth of our zeale love and affections to God from the fiduciary apprehensions of his love to our soules where will be the ravishing joy hopes and expectation of a better life where the zealous care of leading here a holy life will not all these faile us if truth doth and is not truth like to faile if our love doth Are not all those flowers and beauties of our soules and Church heliotropia such as have their life and motion from