Leuit. 2. 13. law must season our sacrifice without which it is vnsauourie Mark 9. 49. and without this like the Iewes in the Prophet Hos 5. 6 we shal go with our sheepe and our bullockes I meane our p Heb. 13. 15. prayers the calues of our lippes Hos 14. to seeke the Lord and shall not find him for he will withdraw himselfe from vs and though we stretch out our hands he will hide his eyes from vs though we make many prayers he will not heare if our hands be * Esa 1. 15. full of bloud The reason whereof our Sauiour gaue the woman of Samaria God which is a spirit will be worshipped in spirit and the houre cometh and now is saith the Lord when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for euen such and none other requireth he to worship him Ioh. 4. 24. Whether then we offer the sacrifice of prayer or thanksgiuing 1 Vse exhorting to vniue before we pray in this must we lift vp pure hands without wrath 1. Tim. 2. 8. and in that out of one mouth must not proceed blessing of God and cursing of our neighbour Iam. 3. 16. For q Eccles 34. 15 when one prayeth and another curseth whose voice will the Lord heare And indeed how canst thou aske God forgiuenesse of thy sins when thou wilt not forgiue man his offences How canst thou beg reconcilement with thy heauenly Father when thou art not reconciled on earth to thy brother How darest thou offer him a sacrifice of praise in those lips which are full of cursing and bitternesse He will aske thee saith r Serm. 16. de verb. Dom. Austine What hast thou here brought me Offers munus tuum non es munus Dei thou offerest me thy gift and giuest not me thy selfe for an offering Thou prayest against thy selfe and through malice makest thy prayers frustrate before thou doest make them they are sinne because not of faith they are not of faith because they wrought not through loue For if charitie be as Å¿ Serm. 24. in Cant. Bernard speaketh quaedam anima fidei as it were the soule of faith or as the t Iam. 2 26. Apostle more truly teacheth spiritus fidei the breath and pulse of faith whereby we may feele if she be aliue and see if the maid be not dead but sleepeth surely the diuorce of these two which God hath so coupled together cannot be possible but like Naomi and Ruth they will liue and die together And therefore if thy prayer be not of faith which worketh through loue it doth but solemnize the funerall of thy faith which thou before killedst through hatred And as it was no maruell saith that Father if Cain slue his brother who had killed his owne faith and brotherly loue before so no wonder if God respected not his offering whose person he for that cause despised Quia etsi nec dum fratricida iam tamen fideicidae teâ—ebatur because though not yet he had killed his only brother yet now had he slaine his owne faith whose carcase and cation made his sacrifice stinke in the nostrils of the Almightie This then saith u Ser. 166. da Temp. Austine is the bond of peace which both clerickes and laickes must bring with their sacrifice sine qua non suscipitur sacerdotis oratio nec plâ—bis oblario without which neither the Priests prayer nor the peoples praise is accepted with God For seeing we must as well with one mind as one mouth praise and pray God the Father of Iesus Christ Roman 15. 6. surely vnlesse both like those x Apoc. 8. 3. odours which were the prayers of the Saints be kindled with this heauenly fire they cannot ascend to the Lord of hosts neither thence will he smell a sweet sauour of rest For as the Saints are said to praise God in choro Psal 149. that is in vnitie of loue as the y Interlinear in hunc Psalm Glosse descants on it and to sing praises vnto him with timbrell and harpe in signe of concord and consort of loue as Lyra harpes on those instruments of musicke so must we with the elders Apoc. 5. 8. when we offer vp these odours the prayers of the Saints haue euery one his harpe which is a symbole of harmonie as z Comment in Apoc. 5. 8. Aretius obserues and sing with one consort and consent of spirits before our voice shall be heard or our prayers get a blessing of the Lord. And therefore when the Psalmist exhorted euery Leuite in the temple to praise the Lord Psal 134. 1. 2. he tels them the blessing of the Lord is not giuen vnto them therefore till they all be one vers 3. The Lord blesse thee not the Lord blesse ye but the Lord blesse thee out of Sion Plures hortatur vt benedicant ipse vnum benedicit saith a Euerrat in Psal 133. 3. Austine he exhorts many to blesse the Lord and he blesseth not them till they all become one Therefore came Christ to his disciples with a blessing of comfort when on the sea they were rowing together Mat. 14. 27. Therefore came he to his Apostles with a blessing of peace when in vnitie they were assembled together Ioh. 20. 19. Therefore sent he not them the holy Ghost till with one accord they were gathered together Act. 2. 1. Therefore filled he his Saints with the holy Ghost when in one soule and one heart they conuersed together Act. 4. 31. So true was his promise which he made to them all Verily I say vnto you that if two of you 〈◊〉 shal with harmony agree in any thing vpon earth whatsoeuer ye shall desire it shall be giuen you for where two or three are gathered in my name there am I in the middest of them Math. 18. 19. And so needful it is that before we do offer the calues of our lips to our God we be first vnited and reconciled to our brother Et quam diu illum placare non possumus nescio an consequenter muner a nostra offeramus Deo and so long as we cannot pacifie and appease him I cannot tell saith b Coment in Mat. 5. 24. Ierome whether after we may offer our gifts of praise and prayer vnto God And if this sacrifice without precedent vnitie be not accepted 2. vse exhorting to charitie before we communicate much lesse maist thou hope for acceptance of thy selfe if when thou receiuest the bodie of the Lord thou be not first reconciled to thy brother For if like the factious Corinthians when ye come together in the Church to receiue there be dissentions among you the Apostle tels you this is not to eate the Lords body but to eate of the bread and drinke of the cup vnworthily to your owne damnation 1. Cor. 11. 29. Let a man therefore first examine himselfe of his brotherly loue and reconcilement and till then not dare to eate
workes Do good to them that hate you The beloued Disciple an Euangelist in his Gospell an Apostle in his Epistles and a Prophet in his Apocalyps prescribeth from his masters breast this trinitie of vnity 1. Iohn 3. 18. Let vs not loue in word or tongue onely but in workes and in truth from the heart And all these three of necessitie here must be meant seeing friendship requireth beneuolence of the heart beneficence of the hand and concord of the tongue as our * Arist lib. 9. 8. thâ—â— cap. 4. master of moralitie teacheth from the oracle of reason Wherfore treading in the steps of our blessed Sauiour his holy Apostle the grauest auncient Fathers our soundest moderne interpreters in the way of truth and naturall reason giue me leaue without censure of y Eccles 19. 24. that fine subtilty but vnrighteous wresting of the law to note here and hereafter handle a triple reconciliation and that in the order and methode of Saint Iohn first verball secondly reall thirdly intentionall reconcilement For the first Verbapacis words of peace must we giue our offensiue 1. Reconcilement verball or offended brother to moue and winne him to concord our speech must be gracious alway and poudred with salt Col. 4. 6. and like that word z 2. Cor. 5. 19. 20. of reconciliation beseech and pray our enemies for Christs sake to be reconciled as before in the dismission Go thy way and tell him his fault I haue at large declared Thus Abraham hauing not the law written in tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of his hart did by grace the things of the law and shewed the effect of this law written in his heart for when such brawling and debate was risen betwixt his and Lots heard-men about grasing and pasture that their maister Lot like our quarelling Gentles counting his seruants supposed iniury his owne indignitie began to be inflamed Abraham that blessed peace-maker comes to him like the Doue with an Oliue branch of peace in his mouth Gen. 13. Let there be I pray thee no strife betweene me and thee neither betweene mine heardmen and thine heard-men for we are brethren Is not the whole land before thee If thou wilt take the left hand then I wil go to the right or if thou wilt go to the right hand then I will take the left He a Chrys hom 33. in Gen. 13. 8. saith not What stirre is this my Nephew Dare thy seruants or any of thy houshold open their mouth or mutter against me and my substance Do they not remember how farre they are inferiour to vs Whence hast thou so great abundance was it not from my care and prouision VVho made thee thus eminent and glorious among men did not I who was to thee in stead of all I was a father to thee in all things and doest thou thus requite my seruice and charges Did I for this hope alwayes take thee for my companion in my iourney Be it so that nothing which I haue done for thee come into thy mind oughtest thou not at leastwise to honour my crowne of age and reuerence my hoary haires No Abraham saith none of these things saith Chrysostome but parleth for peace with words of meeknesse and speeches of pacification And although Lot as a b Philo lib. 1 de Abrahamâ— Iew noteth was Amicus suspectae fidei no constant but a wauering friend who often * Contemptim superbè proudly and disdainefully vsed Abraham yet see saith Chrysostome how with faire words he intreates his agreement and prayeth him be reconciled Let there be no strife I pray thee betweene me and thee neither betweene my heardmen thine Amputauit fibiam discordiae ne contagium so reperet saith c Lib. 1. ad â— â—rde cap. 3. Ambrose he crusheth the serpent in the head lest it creepe and bring in the taile he letteth not the roote of bitternesse spring vp and trouble them lest many therewith be defiled And if intreatie will not perswade refractarie Lot yet see what reasons he vrgeth to induce him to concord We are brethren saith he brethren in the flesh and kinsfolkes by bloud brethren in the spirit and consorts in religion in the midst of a naughtie and crooked nation for yet the Canaanites and Perizzites dwell in this land whose dissentions our discord will vnite whose idolatrie this staining of our religion will aduantage and cause these wicked nations to blaspheme the God of Abraham And if this inducement cannot draw yet see with what a strong motiue he haleth him to vnity as with a threefold cord Is not the whole land before thee take which hand of my inheritance thou wilt chuse and thus pacificis verbis with peaceable words he would decide the controuersie and end the former strife saith Philo. This was the precept of God to Laban toward his offensiue shepheard d Gen. 31. 1â— Take heede that thou speake not to Iaakob ought saue good and therefore e Vers 44. he said vnto him Come and let vs make a couenant of peace I and thou which may be a witnesse betweene me and thee This was Iaakobs practise to his brother Esau who sought his life for he spake vnto him mildly by the mouth of his f Gen. 32. 18. 19 20. seruants and submissiuely by his g Gen. 33. owne Let me find grace in the eyes of my Lord for I haue seene thy face as though I had seen the face of God And by these meanes he accepted him and was reconciled For indeed a soft answer putteth away wrath saith Salomon The reason of the doctrine Prou. 15. 1. or as with Ierome most reade it breaketh wrath A Metaphor me thinkes borrowed from two in a combat wherein he compareth a soft answer to a soft buckler of a subtill champion which accepting the blow into it selfe so breaketh the weapon that the aduersarie giueth ouer For a Prince b Prou. 25. 15. saith he is pâ—câ—ified by 〈◊〉 and a soft tongue breaketh the â—oner as 〈◊〉 doth the fâ—â—ce of a stone that as thrown against it When the Ephramites contended with Gâ—deou for not calling them to â—arre against the Mâ—diâ—nites he gaue them this soft answer that k Vers 2. he preferred their exploits so farre aboue his owne as the glâ—â—ing of grapes of Ephraim was better then the vintage of Abiâ—ner And when he had spoken these words saith the l Vers 3. tâ—xt their wrathfull spirits abated toward him For as there is curatie lingua a cure that the tongue caust do on its patient Prou. 15. 4. so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith an old m Erasm chil 3. câ—nt 1. adag 100 Poet Faire language is a Phisition for the disease of anger which is impatient as that towne-Clearke of Ephesus Ille regit dictis animos pectora mulcet with his soft answer appeased the rage of those seditious Citizens Act. 19. â—5 Which doctrine of
yet taxeth x Râ—ip gerend pracept Plutarch this law of Solon and teacheth to be so indifferent betweene both that thou ioyne with neither in faction or rather to be of either to ioyne both as Christ our head was both God and man that as a mediator between both he might reconcile them each to other as Nestor betweene Agamemnon and Achilles Socrates betwixt Chaerephon and Chaerecrates Moses betweene the two Hebrewes Menenius Agrippa betweene the Commons and the Senate and that town-Clark betweene Paul with his companions and the seditious Ephesians Act. 19. And sith indeed as Plato well obserued the commonwealth 5. Gouernourâ— of bodies pâ—liticke must preuent faction heads ioyne the members together like a fish commonly first putrifieth and rotteth at the head for as the Iudge of the people is himself so are his officers and what manner of man the ruler of the citie is such are they that dwell therein Eccles 10. 2. it standeth them vpon who are chosen as y Exod. 18. 25. chiefe of the tribes of Israel to be heads ouer the people be they rulers ouer thousands or rulers ouer hundreds or rulers ouer fifties or rulers ouer tennes that as each of them is an head of the house of their fathers Num. 1. 4. which is a body politicke so like z Eph. 5. Christ the head of the bodie mysticall he be seruator corporis such a wise Sauiour of that body as to couple and knit it together by euery ioynt and sinew of concord that it may increase in euery part and edifying it selfe in loue may follow the truth in peace and in all things grow vp vnto him which is the head Ephes 4. 15. But if in their ciuill regiments they consult with that Florentine a Maâ—h cap. â—â— de Principâ— Secretarie whose counsell by their practise sâ—emes to some Polititians like the Oracle of God who aduiseth his Prince in time of peace to nourish faction among his subiects vt faciliùs eis ex voluntate vtatur that by their fire himselfe may better see what to do as another of them speaketh surely I must aske them and answer with Saint Iames chap. 3. 13. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you let him shew by good conuersation his workes in meeknesse of wisedome but if ye haue bitter enuying and strife among you reioyce not neither be lyers against the truth This wisedom descendeth not from aboue but is earthly sensuall and diuellish for where enuying and strife is there is sedition and all manner of euill workes but the wisedome that is from aboue is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercie and good fruites without iudging without hypocrisie and the fruite of righteousnesse is sowne in peace of them that make peace It was a diuellish lesson b Idem com lib. 2. cap. 2 lib. 3. cap. 3. he gaue his tyrant and they shew themselues no lesse who practise his precept that seeing the concord and agreement of his subiects and subordinates may hurt his tyrannie and hinder his wicked proceedings he must in policie serere odia alere factiones inter eos sow hatred and maintaine factions among them whereby being troubled among themselues he may fish in that troubled water and thereout sucke no small aduantage for distrusting one another nihil audebunt in communi in eum mâ—chinari they will not dare to combine against him And to such Machiuelian politicians whose pot seetheth with the fire of their peoples factioÌ„ I may iustly imprecate with c Psal 58. 9. Dauid Or euer their pot be made hot with these thornes so let indignation vexe them euen as a thing that is raw Behold all ye kindle a fire saith the d Esai 50. 11. Prophet and are compassed about with sparkes walke in the light of your fire and in the sparkes ye haue kindled This shall ye haue of my hand ye shal lie downe in sorow e Reip. gerend praecep Plutarch though an heathen teacheth them a better lesson in the schoole of policie Ex officio ciuilis viri subiectis rebus hoc vnum ei restat c. It is the only dutie of a man who hath ciuill gouernement wherein he cannot better be employed to to teach his people to vse concord and trafficke friendship among themselues that he abolish all strifes discord and hatred from among them and giue all diligence that he remedie priuat wrongs that some strifes rise not at all other be allayed and buried others make no increase And if dissention happen that he so talke and confer with him iniuried that seeming to participate of his wrong he pacifie his furie and appease his mind that he be their peace to make of two one and breaking downe the partition wall slay hatred thereby For seeing policie learned her platforme of gouernement from the hiue as framers of common-wealths do confesse surely though other Bees carie stings to fight and wound one another yet as Rex apum the gouernor of the Bees is f Senec. lib 1. de Clem. cap. 19. without a sting or g Aâ—â—st lib. 5. de â—â—st aâ—â—â—al c. 21 vseth it not though it haue one so should praepositus saith Seneca a gouernor be without gall like a Doue with Paul gentle among his owne like a nurce cherishing her owne chilldren and be like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lambe not like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Lion lurking in his denne that he may rauish the poore Psalme 10. 9. Be not as a Lion in thine owne house saith Ecclesiasticus neither beate thy seruants for thy fantasie nor oppresse them that are vnder thee Eccles 4. 30. Howbeit if with Cleo for maintaining their faction aculeatos fucos in rempublicam inducant as Plato speaketh they bring in not industrious Bees but biting drones into their hiues how carry they not many stings in their hinder parts And I may send them to the Bee as Salomon did some to the Ant to learne and consider her wayes that as she ignauum fucos pecus à presâ—pibus arcâ—t they keepe out idle drones which trouble but the swarme Or if like that theefe-Bee they steale in another way then by the doore yet as duces apum improbos alucis pâ—llere conantur ne seditiones in examine faciant as h Lib. â— d◠〈◊〉 a 〈…〉 cap. â—0 Aristotle noteth so they would cut off those that do disquâ—et them and let no roote of bitternesse though planted yet not spring vp to trouble all ne pars sincera trahatur lest many thereby be defiled Heb. 12. 15. Melius vt pereat vnus quà m vnitas saith i Tom 2 Epist 10â— Bernard k Mat. 5. 29. 30. Better that one member perish then that the whole bodie should be cast into hell better that one man die then that the whole nation should perish God forbid that Bethel the house of God should become Bether an house
faith to faith Roman 1. 17. Which reuelation neuerthelesse whether it be meant from the faith of Preachers to the faith of their hearers as Å¿ Lib. de spirit lit cap. 11. Austine or from the faith of the Iew to faith of the Gentile as Ierome or from the faith of God promising to the faith of man beleeuing as Ambrose or from faith in the old to faith in the new Testament as Chrysostome or rather from faith imperfect to faith more perfect in degree with Musculus and Aretius I rather deeme surely it is not distinct in either but one in both them and vs which like t Macrob. Sat. lib. 1. Ianus being bifrons two-faced in the Iewes as it did in u Ioh. 8. 56. Abraham that saw Christs day looked forward to him that was to come and in vs Gentiles looketh backward vnto him who is alreadie gone as Peter witnessed of vs both when he spake of this bifrons fides Act. 15. 11. We beleeue to be saued through the grace of Christ euen as they For he hath put no difference betweene vs and them after that by faith he had purified their hearts Which last exposition of our latest expounders as it suteth with the limmes of the text so is it semblable to like phrase of Scripture where the godly are said to grow froÌ„ strength to strength Psal 84. and to be changed from glorie to glory by the spirit of the Lord 2. Cor. 3. 18. and here from faith to faith Ro. 1. 17. froÌ„ a x Mat. 6. 30. litle faith to a y Mat. 15. 28. great faith as he prayed in the z Mat. 9. 24 Gospell Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeleefe or as the a Luk. 17. 5. Apostles Increase our faith For howsoeuer the Apostle saith b Strom. lib 5. in princip Clemens Alexandrinus seeme to import a double faith in this place yet he purporteth but one quae per augmentuÌ„ ad perfectionem contendat a musterd seed of faith planted by Paule which watered by Apollo may grow vp to a great tree in whose branches the graces of heauen may build their nests as he seemes to allude Thus then haue we all whether Iewes or Gentiles bond or free rich or poore one faith one I say though not in euery subiect wherein it dwelleth yet one in the obiect on which it worketh the free grace of God in Christ Iesus who was yesterday c Caluian Heb. 13. 8 aly vnder the Law and is to day in the Gospell the same Iesus and Sauiour for euer Heb. 13. How should we not then all agree in one light of truth being 1. Vse so manie beames shining from this one Sunne of righteousnesse How should we not all beare one fruit of the spirit being so many branches ingrafted in this one vine and roote of Iesse How should we not all relish alike each to other being so manie brookes deriued from this one fountaine of grace How should we not all consent in one sense and iudgement being so manie nerues proceeding from this one head of wisdome How should we not all be of one affection being so manie arteries springing from this one heart of loue How should we not all be of one mind being so many veines drawing our nourishmeÌ„t from this one liuer of life How should we not all be of one accord in Christ Iesus being so manie lines drawne from this one center of grace How should we not lastly square and proportion all our soules and bodies each to other being so many liuing stones coupled and built together on this corner stone and foundation Christ Iesus the author finisher of this one faith O what sympathie in our bodies and vnity in our soules should it make that these desperate compatients are healed by this one Phisition O what symphonie of tongues and free affection should it cause that forlorn captiues we are freed al together by this one redemption O what vnitie of spirit and coniunction of minde bred it in the children of Israel that this one Sauiour made them all d Exod. 15. 1. one miraculous way into the holy land through the red sea wherin he drowned their enemies And what vnion of minde should it cause in vs true Israel that he hath e Heb. 10 19. 10 made vs all enter into the holy place by one new and liuing way eueÌ„ his bloud in the red sea whereof he hath drowned all our foes the fiends of hell As we all then blessed brethren go this one way thorough truth vnto life so let vs not fall out by the way through any error in this life we haue all one faith and grace of God in Christ Iesus the one and onely meanes of our saluation Which one faith seeing our aduersaries of the Romish sinagogue 2. Vse rent in sunder by their idolatrous superstitions how can we be but vnequally yoked with those infidels What fraternitie and fellowship can the righteousnesse of Christ haue with the vnrighteousnesse of Antichrist What communion or common vnion can light haue with darknesse What concord Christ with Belial What part the beleeuer aright with the infidell what agreement the temple of God with diuels saith S. Paul 2. Cor. 6. 16. For though f Lib. 4. princip sâ—d cap. 10. Stapleton slaunder our Church with renting this one faith yet sith the foundation of their faith is not the rock alone wheron we build but that other of sand 1. Cor. 3. as hath bin in * By D. K. throughout his conference conference learnedly shewed if their religion be superstition and their Christian profession Antichristianisme which hath bene as solidly and substantially * By D. D. and D Ao in their Tracts of Antichrist proued without doubt we haue rightly come out from among them and separated our selues iustly as g Tract de Eccl. cap. 10. per totuÌ„ Philip Mornay hath sufficiently demonstrated For seeing this one faith and onely meanes of life they refuse at his hands who freely offereth them all-sufficiency and answer wickedly what h 2. Sam. 24. Dauid did well Not so but I will buy it of thee at a price seeing they count Christs robe of righteousnes not large enough to couer their nakednesse of sinne but patch too a peece of new cloth as if this old were out worne seeing they botch to it the i Esa 64. 6. menstruous and filthie clouts of their owne righteousnesse which like the k 2. Sam. 10. 4. 5. curtald garments of Dauids seruants cannot hide their shame but do indeed defile them as l Iob. 9. 31. Iob confessed Mine owne garments defile me and had more need to be washed themselues in the bloud of the Lambe then be able to wipe away their scarlet sins truly if they will be our brethren in this one faith they must know that when they came to buy food of life at our m Gen. 42. 25. Ioseph with
deceitfulnesse of their owne hart saith the Lord Ier. 14. 14. and yet crie they at the crosse that which crosseth Paul and shall anone be shewed to be against the crosse of Christ * A. W. Lect. 13 on Iude. Others not with their tongue alone but with their pens also haue ioyned in next ranke to Papistes Young wanton Diuines as some shall I say old want-diuines tearme them in both Vniuersities that stuffe their Sermons with the quotations of Philosophers Poets and make ostentation of humane eloquence and so preach themselues and not Christ Iesus But of all other faire so him * W. B. Ser. 3. God wooing of his Church who condemneth all secular learning in the pulpit in precept affirming that Arts and Doctors and Fathers and the tongues in priuat study may be vsed but not publikly in the pulpit by the testimonie of the Apostle except against the Papists and yet in practise vseth arts Philosophers histories Poets and tongues so oft in those sermons when no controuersy is in hand Thou knowest gentle Reader who should haue a good memory Opâ—rtet mendaceÌ„ esse memorem least he breake downe with one hand of practise what he built with the other hand of precept What edification was this to Gods people to condemne the preaching of their fellow-labourers as if we fed them with acornes and huskes instead of bread or brought our children a serpent for an egge and a scorpion for a fish when we bring humane learning as a knife to deuide euery one their portion aright It had shewed a good mind to haue spoken this onely to fellow labourers and not to their people or haue spoken it to some and not written it to all or if they must needs write it to haue spoken to vs in the Aramites language I meane Latine for we vnderstand it and not haue talked with vs in the Iewish in the English tongue in the audience of the people that are on the wall if they meant not hereby to disgrace our manner of preaching with the people For my part I haue reuised the auncient Fathers and late writers in this point and finde not one among them all of this mind that humanitie is vnlawfull in sermons saue onely Zanchius in his oration de conseruando in Ecclesia puto puro Dei verbo set out after his death by his heires and it may be was adulterated by some gatherers of his notes that foisted in this opinion of their owne The state of this foolish question which they make is whether Humanitie .i. any thing beside the wordes of Scripture whether of Ecclesiasticall writers as Fathers Doctours and Schoolemen or prophane writers as Philosophers Poets and Historians be lawfull quoad esse or quoad gradum at all as some denie or onely against aduersaries as some hold in sermons academicall or popular The Obiections against it which I haue heard or seene are threefold 1. from Scriptures 2. reasons 3. Ecclesiasticall writers 1. Ob. Christs voice onely should be heard in his Church Ioh. 10. The sheepe heare his voice and follow him for they know his voice and they wil not follow a stranger but they flie from him for they know not the voice of strangers Therefore Ethnicke learning which is not his voice but the voice of strangers must not be heard in sermons 1. Resp Our Sauiour by his voice meaneth all truth agreeable to his will Christi vox est quicquid verum est saith a Explanaâ— in Psal 1. 6. Bucer quicquid recti aliquid praecipit eam vndemque sonuerit exaudiamus atque sequamur Whatsoeuer is truth whatsoeuer commaundeth any right is Christs voice from whencesoeuer he shall sound it let vs both heare and follow it And therefore all truth in the heathens being a part of Christs voice and a portion of his law as that writer well proueth this place rather includeth then excludeth humanitie in Sermons 2. By the voice of strangers he meaneth false doctrine of deceiuers whom he termeth theeues and robbers vers 8. and from their voice whether they be Ecclesiastical or prophane writers must we not speake 1. Tim. 1. 3. Commaund them that they teach none other doctrine saith his Apostle And if any teach otherwise and consenteth not to the wholesome words of Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse he is puft vp and knoweth nothing from such separate thy selfe 1. Tim. 6. 3. 3. Christ alone was still heard in Pauls preaching 2. Cor. 4. 5. 2. Cor. 13. 3. and therfore when he cited truth out of a Poet Tit. 1. 12. And he giueth the reason both why he alleaged it and why it should be beleeued as Christs voice vers 13. Hoc testimonium verum est this testimony is true though Callimachus was a most lying fabulous Poet in the rest as some truly obserue Wherefore seeing truth in the mouth of Balaams Asse is from God and all true sayings of the heathens from the holy Ghost as b Coment in 1. Cor. 1. 17. Caluin and c In â—undâ— locuÌ„ P. Martyr witnes this place rather admits then dismisseth secular learning from sermons seeing it is from the holy Ghost and a sound of his voice though not so speciall as his word 2. Ob. The Scripture of it selfe is sufficient to saluation and is able to make the man of God absolute and perfect vnto all good workes 2. Tim. 3. 16. therfore secular learning is needlesse the alleaging whereof iniureth the Scripture as if it were not sufficient Therefore neither needeth it nor must it be cited in Sermons 1. Resp. Although the Scripture affoord Gods steward sufficient food for his houshold of faith Luk. 15. 17. They haue meate enough yet must he deuide this bread aright to euery one their dimensum and due portion 2. Tim. 2. 15. which without the knife of secular learning and helpe of other Writers he can not do aright as anone shall be shewed more at large Wherfore this reason is not sound to exclude it from Sermons 2 S. Paule wronged not the sufficiencie of the Scripture when he quoted secular Writers and Poets which he had read Act. 17. 1. Cor. 15. Tit. 1. To conuince Atheists he was faine to appeale vnto the heathens for witnesse To perswade Epicures of the resurrection he vrgeth naturall reason of seed in the ground from Astronomie of starres in the skie 1. Cor. 15. and thought this the best way of preaching And how can we in popular Sermons not onely conuince Papisme of error but Atheisme which now pipeth in the thoughts of too many of irreligion without it What better weapons can we vse in these things then take in our mouth Philip Mornay of the trunesse of Christian religion How can a teacher perswade a naturall man better that the soule is immortall then with Zanchius out of natural reason laid downe by Aristotle and other Philosophers Wherefore seeing neither the citing of Doctors Fathers Schoolemen CoÌ„menters nor prophane
had read Moses whence he is tearmed Moses Atticus the Atticke or Graecian Moses Homer of the paines of hell and honouring our parents Tully of Gods prouidence and rewards of vertue Whence f Lib. 1. in Da. cap. 1. vers 1. Ierome doubted not to tell thee That thou maist find some of the vessels of Gods house in the bookes of Philosophers And surely if euery man that found his neighbours oxe going astray was commaunded by the law to bring him home to his maister that owed him much more me thinkes are we bound to bring home these vessels into the house of God and carrie home all their truth as stray goods from the temple of the Lord. In many points they witnesse our truth And though Christ and his Apostles refused testimonie of the diuels because it was needlesse sith their miracles did sufficiently witnes their doctrine as g In Tit. 1. 12. Theophylact obserues yet these failing in vs we haue need to call both Apostles and Philosophers Prophetâ— and Poets as Moses did both heauen and earth to witnesse his truth And though the testimonie of God be greater yet may we receiue the witnesse of men as Demetrius had good report not onely of the truth it selfe but of all men Wherefore when we dare appeale to enemies and say with our Sauiour Yea let euen these speake this is glorie for it as it was for him 2 Truth is still truth wheresoeuer we find it and may be cited 2. Reason of whom soeuer it be spoken saith Aretius S. Paul giues a reason Tit. 1. 13. why he alleaged the Poet hoc testimonium verum est this testimonie is true Sith all truth is from God saith h Commenâ— in Tit. 1. 12. Caluin if any thing be truly said of the wicked heathens it ought not to be refused because it came from God and seeing all things belong to him why is it not lawfull to apply and vse any saying to his glorie which may fitly be bestowed to that vse And i Comment in 1. Cor. 15. 33 againe seeing all truth is from God there is no doubt quin Dominus in os posuerit etiam impijs quaecunque veram salutarem doctrinam continent But the Lord put into the mouth euen of the wicked whatsoeuer things contain true and wholsome doctrine k In 1. Cor. 15. 33. Peter Martyr witnesseth this truth we may borrow it of the heathens seeing by whoÌ„soeuer truth is spoken it is of the holy Ghost and when we take it out of their books non aliena rapimus sed nostra ab iniustis possessoribus nobis vendicamus There is but one truth among all saith l Lib. 2. de lib. arb cap. 12. Austine and this one truth of whomsoeuer it be spoken must be receiued as he sheweth lib. 13. confess cap. 31. But that Father lib. 2. de Doctr. Christ cap. 18. is excellent in this point as in al. If prophane writers haue said any thing well it is not to be refused for their superstition if we can take any thing from them profitable for vnderstanding the scriptures For then ought we not to learne letters because Mercury as they say was their inuentor or because they dedicated temples to Iustice and Vertue and because those things which are to be borne in our hearts they rather would adore and worship in stones therefore we should flie iustice and vertue Imò verò quisquis bonus verusque Christianus est Domini sui esse intelligat vbicumque inuenerit veritatem And surely then in Saint Austins iudgement they are not good and true Christians that refuse Gods truth when they find it in heathens Quicquid verum est Christi vox est saith m Jo Psal 1. 1. Bucer eam vndicunque sonuerit audiamus and indeede euery Christian whensoeuer he heareth truth out of Philosophers Poets or Historians will know his voice yea follow it and say with his spouse Vox dilecti mei est It is the voice of my beloued that knocketh Cant. 5. 2. If wicked Saul if trecherous Iudas and sonne of perdition yea if a foolish Asse speake truth vnto Balaam he must receiue it and if a Rauen bring Eliah meate he must not refuse it because it came froÌ„ the Lord. And indeed whether we search in the Prophets or Poets in the Apostles or Philosophers in Moses or Aristotle there is but one truth diuersly apparelled If Peter confesse and the diuels professe of Christ Thou art the Son of God it is not a truth in the one and a lie in the other but though the persons be contrary the motiues diuers and ends different in either the substance of the confession in both is the same Onely as that learned man excellently noteth out of n Lib. 18. noct attic cap. 3. Sic bona senteÌ„tia mansit turpis author mutatus est Gellius the difference between them is this That as in Lacedaemon somtimes when in a weightie consultation an eloquent but an euill man had set downe a good decree which they could not amend they caused it to be pronounced by one of honest name and conuersation and then receiued the good sentence as autenticke so truth spoken by Aratus Menander or Callimachus is not more true in the mouth of Saint Paul but onely hath gotten as out of Origen I noted a more sanctified author Neither refused the Apostle the saying Paulus significaâ—â—â—â— Origen of Callimachus though he was a most lying Poet in the rest but alleaged it when he saw it to be true After whose example and with the like reason may euery Preacher cite truth from lying Poets and euery hearer receiue it as sanctified from the spirit the author of all truth when they know hoc testimonium verum est this testimonie and saying is true It is true of all whosoeuer speake his truth The voice of Christ and part of his law as Martin Bucer cals it He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Nec refert quod ad nos attinet quis eam nobis indicet saith o Probl. loc 150. 151. Aretius disputing this point in hand For as a godly matrone vnder meane and base apparell is worthy of honour and reuerence so truth saith he spoken by the wordes of an heathen Poet Philosopher or Historian is to be embraced not because they spoke it but because it is truth because this testimonie is true So I approoue what Homer said of honouring our parents not because he said it but because God first so appointed So likes it me that Plato said the soule is immortall not for Plato but because it agreeth with Gods ordination Nec deterior aestimari debet veritas propter Ethnicos scriptores who like Parots spake truth which they knew not what it meant like Balaams Asse vttered veritie which they vnderstood not and like Caiphas knew not what they proclaimed 3. They thinke it profitable and good to season those