skepticks because they vvould not bee practicks and that the commonest Religion of our times is Socrates his vncertainty Men know nothing now a dayes It is become a disputable probleme Whether the Pope be Antichrist Rome a good Church whether a man may worship God before pictures play vpon any part of the Sabbath as well as vpon the Weeke dayes whether election be of foreseene faith whether the True Beleeuer may Apostatize Shortly I thinke whether the Scripture be Scripture and vvhether there bee a God or no To conclude a good vnderstanding haue all they that doe thereafter and cursed are all such as know these things and doe the cleane contrarie Cursed I say are they because they lay a stumbling blocke before others both vveake ones within and bad ones vvithout such I say as know God and yet deny him in their liues and are reprobate to euery good word and worke such as buy by one ballance and sell by another haue a forme of knowledge which they prescribe to others and liue themselues by contrary Rules Of such I vvould I could speake with as much detestation as Paul writes of them friends in shew but enemies in truth to the crosse of Christ. Vncleane beasts for all their chewing of the cud repeating of Sermons because they diuide not the hoofe walke vvithout all differences and iudgement as if GOD had giuen them their lights to tread in puddles and gutters withall to vvalke and wallow in the myre of all filthinesse vvhich makes men mislike not onely their persons but the very Religion which they retaine too Some few wise grounded Christians vvill doe as they say and not as they doe heare them because they sit in the chaire of Moses but the greatest number will loath their sayings for their doings as men the good light of a Candle for the ill sauour the stinking tallow yeelds resoluing as the Indians of the Spaniards whateuer their Religion bee they vvill bee of the cleane contrary if such goe to Heauen they will goe to Hell I wonder vvith vvhat face such can call themselues Christians or vvith vvhat eares heare themselues of called Does any man looke to bee called a Carpenter that neuer squared Timber or erected frames What if neuer so skilfull I say of all such skill as Cato of superfluous vselesse trifles They are deare of a farthing that are good for nothing Oh rather let vs al lay claime to that honorable name doe the workes of Christians and thereby approoue our selues to God and man as the Angell to Manoah who being asked of his name made answere It was wonderfull and did wonderfully ascended in the flame and made good his name by his action Heere is the labour and heere lies all the difficulty the Maximes and Sanctions of things to be done and beleeued are but few conteyned in briefe Summaries but the incentiues motiues directions repoofes and such like appurtenances of practice these make volumes swell these lengthen Sermons and multiply bookes The art of doing is that which requires study strength and diuine assistance Do the sinnes that swarme in our times proceede from ignorance or incontinence rather and wilfulnesse It were happy if men had that Plea if the light were not so great the times and the Nation had not sinne May wee not vse the Apostles ordinary increpation and exprobation Know you not that Idolatry Swearing Sabbath-breaking Drinking and Whooring are sinnes Know you not that for these things comes the anger of God Is any so simple that he knowes not the tenne Commandements and the summe of the Gospell yet how desperatly do men rush vpon these Pikes carelesly wittingly and willingly seeing the Gulfe and yet leaping into it Many condemning themselues in Medeas termes see the better and yet follow the worse hauing no heart to leaue that they see to be euill as if men thought that ignorance only should condemne as if God should onely come in flaming fire to render vengeance vpon poore Pagans Sauages and Indians or Heretikes that know not the truth and not much more vpon his owne seruants that knew and refused to doe his will The Infidell disputes against the faith the impious liues against it the one denies it in termes the other in deedes and therefore both shall bee held as enemies to the faith and neuer attaine saluation of the two it is worst to kick against the prick one sees then to stumble in the darke at a block one sees not But heere is the chiefe cause of all impiety illuminatiō is easie sanctification is hard to flesh and bloud requires crossing and mastery yea crucifying of our lusts wils and affections which is not done without much prayer and trauell and therfore men neglect that content thēselues with the easier and cheaper worke Vpon this therefore do I wish Christians would set prices spend their studies euen about the art of doing But how shall we attaine this facility and faculty of doing I answere to wish it and heartily to desire it is halfe yea and the best halfe of the work as Socrates was wont to say Hee that would bee an honest man shall soone bee one and is past the hardest part of the worke To affect goodnesse aboue cunning is a good signe and a good helpe and step to be such an one especially when this desire breeds prayer for power to do knowing that without Christ wee can doe iust nothing but lye becalmed vnable to moue or promoue as a Ship on the Sea a Mill on the Land without the breath of his Spirit And this I commend as the best and first generall helpe of practice that euery morning and in the enterprize of all thy affaires thou acknowledge thine owne disability or rather deadnesse to euery good worke and commend thy selfe to the worke of his grace for the will and the deede for preuenting and subsequent operating and co-operating perseuering and perfecting grace intreating him not onely to regenerate thee and giue thee new Principles of motion but to renew his inspiration vpon euery new act of thine that by Christ or rather Christ by and in thee may doe all things pray as if thou hadst no will vow as if there were no grace that is seriously both Secondly in the vse of all meanes of practice when thou goest to heare reade or meditate pray and desire thou maist light vpon profitable and pertinent Themes Bookes and Sermons applicatory and leuelling at thy selfe and Orations as if made for thee rather then for any body else desire not to gather Flowers but Pot-herbes and Fruite Charmes are said to haue no effect vnlesse one goe with a beliefe vnto them I am sure no meanes ordinarily will doe thee any good vnlesse thou goe with a mind to bee bettered by them Thirdly in the vse of these attend to thy selfe as well as to the matter haue one eye and eare fixed on what is said and another on thy selfe lay
delicate aboue the Hony and the Hony-combe sweeter then the taste of any Nectar Some say the study of the Law is cragged that if the gaine of practice did not sweeten it few would plot vpon Ployden But I beleeue few would study Saint Paul and preach as Saint Paul did instantly in season out of season quaintly and rarely they might for credit and preferment but painfully and profitably I hardly beleeue they would feruently and feelingly they cannot except the sweetnesse of their practice driue and constraine them Of all men I hold them fooles that bend their studies to Diuinitie not intending to bee Doers as well as Students and Preachers not much vviser such as will be professors of Religion and not practicioners The Parables in the Talmud fits their folly well resembling them to such as plowe and sow all the yeere and neuer reape to the Grashopper that sings all the Summer and wants in the Winter to vvomen euer conceiuing and euer making abortion neuer comming to the birth and best of all to that of Christ distinguishing Hearers into foolish that build on the Sand of Hearing and professing blowne downe vvith euery puffe of Trouble and the wise that build on the Rocke of Doing vnshakeable Search all the Scripture and see if any Couenants or Grants vvere made to Knowing and not all to Doing Is not the ancient tenour of the Law Doe this and Liue and the Gospell Beleeue and liue which implies an act to be done and that act implying sundry cōsequents fruits of it Hee that doth my Fathers will hee is my Brother and Sister Not euery one that saith Lord Lord but hee that the doth my Fathers will To him that doth ill shall be tribulation and anguish to euery soule of Iew and Grecian to him that doth well shall bee honour and peace vpon all the Israel of God Vnto whom shall that Euge be giuen at that great Day but to the doer and in what forme but Well done thou good Seruant that hast not buried thy Talent in a Napkin Hee himselfe expresseth the manner Behold I come quickly my reward is in my hand to giue euery man according to his workes Blessed is euery one that doth my Commandements that hee may eate of the Tree of Life and enter thorow the gates into the City In all which happinesse in this life and that to come is conferred vpon the liuing acts and exercises not vpon the dead habits of any grace whatsoeuer In all labour there is aboundance but in the conceits of the braine and talke of the lippes nothing but emptinesse and misery If one could doe as much as Master Stoughton prints and many credible witnesses report of the young Gentlewoman of nine yeeres old that can say euery sillable of the new Testament by heart and vpon triall not faile in returning a line without the right Chapter verse yet practice neuer a iot nor tittle of it happy were such if they had neuer heard word of Gods Word If one should take paines to get together a great number of songs curiously set artificially composed yea and knew how to sing or play them and yet neuer heard them sung or plaid what pleasure had hee of them The practice and vse of all operatiue Arts is all in all in Diuinity the chiefe of all which else is as the Vine excellent only in the sweet iuice of it otherwise fit not so much as Pin or Pegge Next to Gods glory and a mans owne good a Christian placeth much happinesse in winning and edifying others to which purpose a speechlesse life hath more life in it then a liueles speech I rrisistable is the Suada of a good life aboue a faire profession Chrysostome calls good works vnanswerable Syllogismes inuincible Demonstrations to confute and conuert Pagans withall tells vs they haue a louder language then the Sunne and Moone whose sound yet goes ouer all the world publishing Gods glory not in Hebrew Greeke or Latine which many barbarous Nations vnderstand not but in an oratory they can better skill of An Archer puts not more force into an Arrow he shoots then the life of the speaker into his speech whence it comes that one and the same Sermon or counsell in seuerall mens mouthes differ as much as a shaft out of a Gyants or Childs shooting Miracles sayes hee are now ceased good conuersation comes in their place the Apostles might haue preached long enough without audience or acceptance had not their miracles as Bells towled to their Sermons and as Harbengers made way into mens hearts for their doctrine by such weapons they conquered the world as Gedeons souldiers the Midianites carrying in one hand the burning Lampe of a good life and in the other the loud shrill Trumpets of preaching otherwise plaine men will answere as Iouinian to the orthodox and Arrian Bishops contending about the faith Of your learning and subtill disputations I cannot so well iudge but I can well marke and obserue which of your behauiours is most peaceable and fruitfull and as one Moses renowned for piety to Lucius reputed an Arrian Bishop tendring the confession of his faith to cleere himselfe Tush sayes he What telst thou mee of the faith of the eares Let me haue the faith of the hands I will rather goe without my installment then take it of hands imbrued in bloud bribery and iniustice as all know and report thine to be Arguments are darke and perswasions dull things to liues and actions and most people are like Sheepe easilier following example then led or driuen by preceps and rules Let any man make proofe of both Let a Gentleman or Minister perswade Parishioners to contribute liberally to a Briefe and set a niggardly example and see how much lesse will come of it then if hee said lesse and gaue more What else mooued Christ and the Prophets so frequently to vse that potent figure which Rhetoricians from the speciall vsefulnesse of it call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is when the Orator seconds and enliues his speech with some action as Christ when heere in my Text hee girts himselfe with a Towell and elswhere when hee tooke the Child and set him in the middest of the Apostles the Prophet when hee tooke Pauls Girdle and the old Diuine in Dorotheus that bad his Auditor pluck at a great old Tree which hee could not stir and at a young Sprout easily pluckt vp to shew the difficulty of rooting out an old habit in comparison of the beginnings The reason is words are but wind and vanish into the winde leauing no print or impression more then a Ship in the Sea in comparison of actions which men take markes and notice of This same inartificial argumēt of examples though Schollers lesse regard it as hauing lesse art in it yet is it all the country-mans Logike as the Martyr that answered Bishop Bonner My Lord I cānot dispute but I can dye for the truth mooued the
spectators as much as many learned discourses By this Christ demonstrated to Iohns Disciples his Messias-ship Goe and tell not what you heard mee preach but saw me doe how the blind receiue sight c. If I doe not such workes as none other hath done before mee I desire not men to beleeue in mee By these courses Peter would haue Christians winne their Neighbours and Wiues their Husbands rather then by tutoring of them Then would Neighbours follow one another to the right Religion and true Church as Tradesemen doe to those Markets where they see them gather wealth yea imitate their liues and bring forth fruits as Iacobs Sheepe if they saw their rods speckled with works as well as with words Thus Monica Saint Augustines famous Mother taught one of her neighbour Gentlewomen complayning of her churlish Nabal and wondring how shee wonne her peruerse husband Why sayes she I obserued his mind pleased him in all indifferent things forbore him in his passions gaue him all content in dyet attendance and so haue made him first Gods and then mine by degrees These are the arts charmes that if now vsed by Preachers and professors would conuert multitudes of people and couer multitudes of sinnes and cause themselues to shine as starres These things mind and exercise These things if you know and doe you shall saue your selues and those you liue withall and so bee euery way happy men Thus in all these 3 references you see that Doing onely brings in the happinesse without which all our Knowing makes and leaues vs but dishonourable to God vncomfortable to our selues scandalous to others in no neerer termes to happinesse then Balaam Iudas and the Diuell himselfe who the more they know the worse for them the more sin the more punishment they doe but teach God how to condemne them If knowing made vp happinesse England were an happy Nation our times as happy as euer any but if doing bee required great is the felicity of both Of which shall I complaine in the words of Seneca Men now adayes chuse rather to discourse then to liue study stiles rather then deeds or in Bernards Men desire knowledge to be knowne by it or as Anacharsis taxed the Athenians for vsing their money to count withall and knowledge to know withall or as Tully of the Philosophers that their liues and their discourses miserably crossed one another the truth is this a plethory and dropsie there is of hearing and reading a dearth and consumption of doing most euer gathering neuer vsing not vnlike some old Vniuersitie Droanes euer in studying and learning neuer preaching or venting their studies Like tedious Musicians euer tuning neuer playing or like the Changeling Luther mentions euer sucking neuer battling or like dying men and sicke of apoplexies hauing their senses memorie speech but no facultie Loco-motiue no power to stirre hand or foote Few I confesse troubled in these times with the deafe and dumbe spirits but most hauing withered hands and dryed armes and lame feete This same want of doing what wee know what does it else but make common people blaspheme God doubt vvhether all Diuinitie bee but Policy the Scriptures a Fable Verily the Atheisme of the times hath this for the principall fountaine and pretext There was a woman lately liuing much spoken of in some parts of this Land liuing in professed doubt of the Deity after illumination and repentance hardly comforted vvho often protested that the vicious and offensiue life of a great learned man in the Towne where she liued occasioned those damned doubts This opens mens mouthes and giues the hint of all blasphemies scornes and scoffes of Religion Such as he broke vpon the Iesuites whom in forraine Nations they call Apostles The old Apostles indeed shewed the world Heauen left the earth to earthly men got Heauen themselues but vvee are more beholding to our new ones they shew vs Heauen leaue it to vs to purchase and coozen vs onely of earthly possessions in the meane time This made Linacre reading vpon the New Testament the 5. 6. and 7. Chapters of Saint Matthew and comparing those rules vvith Christians liues to throw down the Booke and burst out into this protestation Either this is not Gods Gospell or wee are not Christians and Gospellers Questionlesse the more any men know or professe to know and the lesse they doe the more doe they dishonour God And vvhat are such themselues the better for their knowledge but as the Preacher experimentally speakes Hee that increaseth such knowledge addeth sorrow Their folly I cannot better expresse then Erasmus in his Dialogue of a carnall Gospeller whom he cals Cyclops Euangeliophorus a swaggering Russian affecting yet the name of a Gospeller vvhom hee describes hauing by one side hanging a bottle of rich Sacke and by the other a Testament of Erasmus his Translation richly bound boffed the Leaues gilt ouer as faire as his life vvas foule and conditions base This man hee discouers by certaine Interrogatories to haue no inward knowledge or affection to the Gospell nor better proofe of his loue thereto then that hee carried it alwaies about him and had laid it vpon the pate of a Franciscan that had railed on Erasmus and the new Gospellers To conuince him hee askes him What if he vvere tyed euer to carry the bottle at his Girdle and neuer to taste of it or but to taste only and neuer to drinke it downe His answere is that vvere but a punishment Tantalus-like But vvhat if hee did as his manner was drinke deepely of it He then answeres It vvould vvarme his heart refresh his spirits cheere his countenance So sayes he would that little Booke if thou diddest eate it downe concoct digest and turne it into nutriment in thy life and practice My meaning is not in this Relation to taxe Biblecarrying vvhich I hold a better grace then Rapiers or fans of Fethers but onely to shew the foppery of them that carry them in their hands or in their memories or vnderstandings as Asses do dainty burdens taste not of them haue no fruit of them themselues Verily a man knowes no more rightly then he practises It is said of Christ he knew no sinne because hee did no sinne and in that sence hee knowes no good that doth no good he that vvill obey shall know my Fathers will and such as vvill not doe vvhat they know to bee good shall soone vnknow that which they know and become as if they neuer had knowne any such matter it beeing iust with God to punish shipwracke of a good conscience with losse of the fraught of knowledge according to that imprecation of the Hebrewes that if they should abuse their skill in musicke their right hand might forget his cunning and their tongue cleaue to the roofe of their mouthes From which iust Iudgement I perswade my selfe it comes to passe that many become in matters of Religigion meere