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
of men and deride their ridiculous customes which is not my wont let me craue pardon for my want If in hate and heate against the spirit of singularitie and scisme and to auert the readers therefro being prouoked I haue called some deceiuers of minds Puritans or Pruritans beare with this zeale also Ipsa enim necessitas aduersus huius certaminis doctrinas instans talem nobis sudorem efficit vt lectores auertantur as saith Epiphanius in not vnlike case I did it because sinful scisme is impudent and hauing a whores forehead will not be ashamed till we spit in her face In which respect as I cannot hope for better acceptance of my widowes mite then did x Prooem in lib. 2. commeÌ„t in Oscam Alij quasi parua contemnunt quicquid dixerimus coÌ„trectare despiciâ—it Alij odio nominis nostri non res sed personas consideraÌ„â— magisque aliorum silentium quà m nostrum studium probant Sunt quae audacter nos facere asserant c. Quidam in eo se disertos arbitrantur doctos si alieno operi detrahant c. Ierome of his much cast into the treasurie Some will despise it as a thing of no value and whatsoeuer we write disdaine to reade it Others in hatred of our name consider the person not the thing more commend others silence then our indeuor some count vs bold for handling a matter neuer written of before some thinke themselues skilfull and learned if they can detract from other mens labours non quid ipsi possint sed quid nos non posâ—umus dijudicent so may I iustly wish with Lucilius that neither the best nor worst learned might be my readers because they vnderstand nothing at all and these more then perchance I do meane y Cicer. lib. 2. de Orat. Perseum non curo legere Laelium volo Perseus is too learned honest and not vnlearned Laelius I wish for my Reader And now thee I intreate good Christian if thou hast not written suspend thy censure till thou know what it is to write and be buried in a dead letter of lesse delight and perswasion if thou hast written yet suspend thy iudgement till thou meet with a matter wherein thou hast euery man and yet none for thy helpe It is an easie matter to chaunge an Author è Graeco in Latinum from his Athenian cloke into a Romaine gowne A more easie matter like Chrysippus to take Euripides his Medea and concealing his name make it our owne Tragedie as some do I speake not this to taxe others or commend my selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the brag of a proud Painter that thought be farre from my heart onely I tell Momus Carpere vel noli nostra vel ede tua If I haue done well Martial Epigr. and as the storie required it is the thing that I desired let God haue the praise thee the profite and me the paines But if I haue spoken slenderly and barely as thou shalt perceiue it is that I could The God of peace enlighten thine vnderstanding and sanctifie thee throughout that after thou hast enioyed the peace of conscience thou mayst possesse that eternall peace of God in the heauens Amen Thine in the Lord Egeon Askew BROTHERLY RECONCILEMENT MATH 5. 24. Go thy way first be reconciled to thy Brother THose a Mat. 23. 13. Porters of the kingdome who had taken away the Key of knowledge Luke 11. did with their forged glosse that b Bulling conc 39 in Apoc 9. 1. Doctrina adulterata est clauis adulterina false key so wrest the locke and sence of the Law that sooner they could enter those c Deuter. 29. 29. secreta Iehouae the priuie chamber of Gods secret counsell then open these reuelata the presence-chamber of his reuealed will For whereas Law was not only d Rom. 7. 12. holy to bind the hand from the action of bloodshed Leuit. 19. 18. but e Vers 14. spirituall also to bridle the hart from the affection of hatred vers 17. the Scribes and expounders of the Law whose f Ier. 8. 8. pen it seemes taught falshood by tradition misconstruing the turbulent passions of anger malice and enuie as g Bellar. lib 1. da statu pâ—ccat c. 3. 9. 12. Papists now do to be but h Chrysost Homil 11. op imp in Math. 5. sic glossord Caluin muscul Chem. Aret. Bez. Pisc Ferus Quill in Mat. 5. expon least matters of the law Mat. 5. 19. 20. restrained by their glosse the sixt precept Thou shalt not kill to the outward act of murder vers 21. and openly professed out of not i Math 23. 2. Moses chaire but their stoole of k Psalme 94. 20. wickednesse whereon they imagined mischiefe for a law yea publikely proclaimed as if not l 2. Corint 3. 15. their heart alone but m Acts 28. 27. eyes too in reading of n Leu. 19. 17. 18. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart nor remember iniuries Moses had bene couered with a veile that this outward action of killing onely and not these inward motions of the mind were forbidden in this commandement as o Nic. Lyra in Exod. 20. 17. Mat. 5. â—â— Lyra a Iew by ofspring out of their owne p Joseph Antiq. Jud. lib. 12. cap. 13. Antiquarian wel obserues Thus these text-corrupting glosers staying their superficiall knowledge in the vtter court and dead letter of this precept nor once entring into the spirit and holiest of all measured murder but with the span of a bloody hand and mete out homicide with the a Esay 58. 4. stroke of the fist of wickednesse Thus like theâ—â— b Esay 8. 17. fathers they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 ng to the dead and Mez 〈…〉 like 〈◊〉 the liuing spirit of this precept to the dead letter of the law they stifled the life therof with the dead caracter they murdred its soule with the killing letter and made the commandement of God of no authoritie by their glossing tradition Wherefore our Lord thinking it now time to put to his hand seeing they had destroyed his law purgeth it from their glosses as he did the c Mat. 21. 12. Temple of the buyers and sellers and opening with his Key of knowledge the meaning of his Fathers will quickneth the dead letter of this precept with the spirit of truth who laying his axe not onely to the hands and branches of the tree but euen to the heart the roote of bitternesse both chaines vp thereby an Herodian d Luk. 13. 31. 32. foxe from violence or blood and in him also takes the e Cant. 2. 15. vid Iun. Fen. little foxes anger hatred and malice which lurking in the denne of his heart would eftsoones destroy the vine and like f Iudg. 15. 4. 5. Sampsons foxes set all on fire proclaiming with his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from heauen that euen
of this bread and drinke of this cup. We c Val. Max. lib. 2. cap. 1. read that the ancient Romanes ordained a feast wherat men at enmitie were recoÌ„ciled if any iar was risen vp among them apud sacra mensae tollebantur the breach was made vp at that solemne feast by their friends which therefore they termed Charistia The Saints in the Apostolicall times whether they learned it from Christs supper before the communion or from the Apostles as most suppose at their receiuing of the Lords Supper had their feasts also 1. Cor. 11. 21. which S. Iude termeth d Iude 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feasts of loue and the faithfull continued them in the Primitiue Church as the auncient e Tertul. apollog 39. aduers Gent. Iust Mart. ap 2. Fathers obserue wherein they ate their meate together with singlenesse of heart that so they might examine their mutuall charitie when they receiued Though we haue not those Agapas yet haue we this great feast of loue before which the Apostle requireth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 brotherly loue which we must examine before we eate of this bread and drinke of this câ—p 1. Cor. 11. 28. For if the Iewes might not eate the paschal Lamb vnlesse their loines were first girded vp their shooes on their feet and their staues in their hands Exod. 12. 11. much lesse may we eate of our Passeouer which is f 1. Cor. 5. 7. Christ sacrificed for vs vnlesse our loines be first girded about with veritie our feet shod with the Gospell of peace and the sword of the spirit in our hands Eph. 6. 14. And therefore let vs keepe this feast saith Paul not with old leauen neither in the leauen of maliciousnesse and wickednesse but with the vnleauened bread of sinceritie and truth 1. Cor. 5. 8. as the Iewes while their feast lasted might eate none but bread vnleauened It is Salomons lesson to euery inuited guest at a carnal supper Prou. 23. 1. When thou comest to eate with a Prince consider diligently what is set before thee or as the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will cary in g Mercer in Prou. 2. 31. Two motiues to examine our selues of charitie before the communion both genders quis quid consider who and what is set before thee And indeed whether we consider the feast-maker himselfe with whom we sit at this table as inuited guests or his most precious body and bloud set before vs to our saluation if worthily or to our damnation if vnworthily we receiue it we had need to take heed to our foot when we enter into the house of God that we put off our shooes and sandals our iniuries and scandals seeing the place whereon we stand is so holy ground 1. The feast-maker And for the Prince with whom we eate seeing he is King of kings at whose messe we sit saith h Hom. 3. in Ephes 2. Chrysostome whereof euen the Angels are attendants with what diligence should we consider him who is set before vs If Ioseph durst not come being inuited of Pharao till he had first shauen his head and changed his rayment Gen. 41. 14. how dare we come to this supper of the Lambe before we haue cut off excrementa malitiae those i Iam. 1. 21. excrements or superfluitie of maliciousnesse and k Ephes 4. 24. put on the new man of a wedding garment of charitie And if Iaakobs sonnes did with such diligence addresse and make ready themselues because at noone they should dine with Ioseph their princely brother Gen. 43. how should we first prepare our selues seeing we are to eate at the Lords table who searcheth his guests if any want the wedding garment of l Greg. hom 38. in Euangel loue Mat. 22. 11. We know him that hath said absentem qui rodit amicum Hanc mensam vetitam nouerit esse sibi He that back biteth his brother shall not sit at my table And Christ himselfe hath pronounced of such guests They shall Luke 14. 24. not tast of my Supper He will not take the childrens bread and cast it to whelps He wil not giue these holy things to dogs which returne to their vomite of rancor nor cast these pearles before swine which go againe with the sow to her wallowing in the mire But as those dogs and these swine he excludes from the holy citie and supper of the Lambe Apoc. 22. so from the holy communion and supper of the Lord 1. Cor. 11. with that Noli me tangere of the m Col. 2. 21. Apostle touch not tast not handle not For albeit malicious Iudas he admitted to his former supper of the paschall lambe Ioh. 13. 26. yet excluded he Iudas from this last supper of the Lambe of God which was the banquet as it were of the former sent him out with this prohibition That thou dost do quickly v. 27. as soone he had receiued the soppe n Mat. 25. 23. dipped in the dish of the paschall lambe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he went out immediatly saith Iohn vers 30. before the supper of the sacrament and though he was at supper with the Lord non interfuit coenae yet was he not at the Supper of the Lord as o Lib. 1. cap. 16. de cultu Dei externo de caenae Dom. cap. 19. in 4. precept Zanchius sufficiently proueth Or if he admitted Iudas to this table as some suppose yet accepit panem Domini non panem Dominum saith p Tract 59 in Ioh. Euang. Austine he receiued not the bread of life but the bread of the Lord which he ate to his owne damnation and after the soppe Satan entred into him vers 27. Wherefore if the Lord would not talke at mount Sinai with the children of Israell till first they had sanctified themselues and washed their clothes Exod. 19. 10. much lesse may we look for accesse to his owne table if we be not sanctified through loue but come to eate with vnwashen hands And if for their eating of the paschall Lambe they must first put away from their houses the q Exod. 12. 15. leauen of bread much more should we in keeping this fast of the true passeouer purge out of our minds the old leauen of maliciousnesse 1. Cor. 5. 7. And this we rather then they that because though by prescript he bid them eate theirs with soure herbes Exod. 12. 8. yet vs by precept he forbids to eate ours with rootes of bitternesse Heb. 12. 15. wherefore let all bitternesse and anger and wrath crying and euill speaking be put from among you with al malitiousnesse Ephes 4. 31. Howbeit if the Princes person at whose table we sit we regard 2 The feast it selfe not but bring our leauen of malice to furnish out his table of vnleauened bread and our viols of wrath to mixe his cup of saluation as if we meant to drinke of the cup of the Lord and of that
I none but such as I haue I giue and forgiue thee In all other good works some one sometime may pretend some colorable excuse saith g Serm. 61. de Temp. Austine but for loue none can excuse himselfe Some bodie may say vnto me I cannot fast but can he say truly I cannot loue he may say for my stomackes sake and owne infirmitie I cannot abstaine from wine or flesh-meate but can he iustly say I cannot loue Some man may say I cannot keepe my virginitie he may say he cannot sell all his goods and giue them to the poore but can he say truly I cannot loue and forgiue them that trespasse against me Let no man deceiue himselfe beloued brethren for God is not mocked nor deceiueth any for though there be many good workes which through humane infirmitie we cannot corporally performe it is too abhominable and a filthy excuse that in this worke of the mind either the lame or the deafe or maimed should for its wearisomnesse make excuse For in this worke of loue neither the feet labour in running nor the eyes with seeing nor the eares with hearing nor the hands in working It is not said vnto vs go ye to the East and seeke charitie saile to the West and ye shal find loue it is engrauen in our heart by that lawe of nature Do as ye would be done to Luk. 6. 13. Whosoeuer thou art this commandement of loue which he commaundeth thee this day is not hid from thee neither is it far off as h Deut. 30. 11. 12. Moses speaketh It is not in heauen that thou shouldest say who shal go for vs to heauen and bring it to vs that we may do it Neither is it beyond the sea that thou shouldest say Who shall go ouer the sea for vs and bring it vs and cause vs to heare it that we may doe it But loue is very neare vnto thee euen in thy mouth and in thine heart to giue it in forgiuing each one his brother Some man may say saith i Ser de Maâ—â—yr Leo I cannot watch I cannot fast I cannot giue all to the poore I cannot liue single but can he say I cannot loue It may be saith k H 〈…〉 l. 6. 〈…〉 d Maâ— 5. 44 Vâ—de tom 6. â—b 〈…〉 a Aâ—hmant â—â— 17. ser 59. dâ—â—â—p Austine that sometime thou hast not gold and siluer apparell or corne wine or oile in thine house to giue to the poore but what shadow of excuse canst thou pretend that thou hast not a penniworth of charitie a wedding garment of loue a graine of mustard-seed of amitie a drop of dilection and ointment of loue in thy coffer and wardrobe and garner and chalice and boxe of thy heart No no this is the tribute of loue wherewith all the world is taxed and all may go to be taxed euery man to his owne citie It is an easie offering alwayes at hand or at heart that with Isaac thou needst not aske but where is the Lambe for the oblation It is within which thou maist easily offer as of that which cost thee nothing In forgiuing each one From the heart For because man ofteÌ„ forgiues with his mouth â— manne◠〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propter homines as l Hâ—â—d 〈…〉 rat Dom. Austine noteth and keepes hatred in his hart propter daemones and m Ierom lib. 3 an Math 18. 35. can say of his brother He knowes I beare him no euill will I will leaue him to God his Iudge I haue for my part forgiuen him for n Buâ—â—r enarra in Math. 18. 35. thus we wold often seeme to pardon our brother when we scarce from our hart forgiue him that we loue him as before yea o Tom. 1. ad epâ— Castor say in the Lords prayer Forgiue as we forgiue animo discrepante cum verbis oratione dissidente cum factis as Ierome noteth therefore Christ saith that Father taking away all hypocrisie and colour of fained peace commandeth to forgiue from our hearts And that if not from his precept yet after Gods example Qui remittit ex corde as Musculus on these words obserueth Who so forgiueth men from his heart that he p Ier. 31. 24. remembreth their trespasses no more but q Micha 7. 19 casteth them into the bottome of the sea and imputeth them not vnto them but couereth al their offences Psalme 32. 1. Which most motiue example of his Father his Apostle vrgeth as the strongest inducement Ephes 4. 32. Be ye tender hearted forgiuing one another But how 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 euen as God forgiues you And if this loue of God shed abroade in our hearts and r Mathew 3. 11 fire of the spirit like that purifying flame in the Å¿ Numb 31. 23. law cannot burne out all our drosse of malice till it be pure and take away all our tinne of hatred from the heart certainly it argueth we remaine full like those wicked Gentils Rom. 1. 29. of all vnrighteousnesse wickednesse maliciousnesse full of enuie murder and debate and poisonous affections of the heart For as we reade of Germanicus Caligula his father that when according to the t Suet. â—n Tyber cap. 75. vide comens Beroald custome of the Romanes who burned their Emperors bodies and other least being interred in forrame wars the enemie should dig them vp though his bodie was consumed in the fire yet his heart could not â—e prierced by the flame but lay vnburned among his bones because being opened it was found full of poison whose nature is such that dipt in poison it resisteth all fire as v Suet. in Calig cap 1. Tranquillus and x Li. 11. nat hist cap. 37. Plinie both obserue euen so and more then so if this fire of Gods spirit That he forgiueth vs from his heart kindle only our tongues and hands to loue our enemies in word and worke alone and inflame not our hearts also to loue them in truth 1. Iohn 3. 18. it tels the searcher of the heart that yet for all this our heart is wicked and deceitfully malicious aboue all things and as y Iames 3. 8. Iames speaketh of as little a member full of deadly poison And though this stonie heart cannot be burned with this fire but lieth buried in the whited tombe of the body though this whited tombes rottennesse and ranc or appeare not to flesh and blood and men that go ouer it perceiue not for it is wicked and deceitfull aboue all things who can know it Ier. 17. 9. yet he who onely knoweth the hearts of all the children of men 1. Kings 8. 39. z Iob 10. 4. hauing not carnall eyes nor seeing as man seeth a 1 Sam. 16. 7. looketh not like man on the outward appearance but beholdeth the heart yea so searcheth the heart and trieth the reines he I say who as Ierome speaketh is all eye when he seeth the hearts hypocrisie and all hand when he
Writers for opening the Scripture and giuing the sence nor for confuting of naturall men by reason maketh the Scripture vnsufficient this reason is not sufficient to exclude it from Academicall or popular Sermons 3. Ob. Thou shalt not plow with an Oxe and an Asse together nor sow thy field with diuers kinds of seedes Deut. 22. 9. that is as Philosophers could teach vs Non est de vno genere disciplinae transeundum in aliud We must not confound Philosophie with Theologie or Aristotle with Christ For which Ierom taxed Eustochium saying What communion hath light with darknesse what concord Christ with Belial what agreement the temple of God with idols Quid Horatio Psalterio Virgilio Euangelistis Ciceroni Apostolis wherefore come out from among and separate your selues Or as Tertullian speaketh Praesâ—râ—pt adâ—er Hâ—retiâ— Quid Athenis Ierosolymis Quid Academiae Ecclesiae Quid Haereticis Christianis Nostra institutio de porticu Salomonis est viderint qui Stoicum Platonicum Dialecticum Christianis praetulerunt The beleeuer hath no part with the infidell Diuinitie must not be vnequally yoked with humanitie nor an Oxe with an Asse therefore away with humanitie out of Sermons 1. Resp That law in the old the Apostle expounds well in the new Testament 2. Cor. 6. No fellowship should righteousnesse haue with vnrighteousnesse nor any communion light with darknesse And so secular learning which is darknesse and descended not from the father of lights but ascended rather from the bottomlesse pit should not be brought to the Scripture but to be reproued of the light Yet when it is true he that commaunded the light to shine out of darknesse maketh as the Psalmist speakes this darknesse to be light Wherefore if the Asse will know his masters crib for I must answer this brutish reason in it owne kind this beast as one wel notes may like Balaams asse be taught to speake to good purpose and as an Asse caried a false Prophet then so may it now carrie Christ as once one did Isis and speaking with mans or rather Gods voice forbid the foolishnes of a Prophet whence reuerence secular learning as the people did him with Non tibi sed religioni not for it selfe but for Gods truth that it caryeth And when Caesaris effigiem quilibet assis habet any farthing of their coyne beareth Gods image and superscription of truth we bring it vnto God to whome it belongeth and cast it though but a farthing into the treasurie of the Lord. And therefore seeing it may bring Christians to his Church as the Asse caried Christ to the temple I say to all Preachers as spake he to his disciples Go ye to Bethphage go to Poets Historians and Philosophers and there shall ye find an Asse tyed and her colt loose them and bring them hither for the Lord hath neede of them 4. Ob. Moses though learned in all the wisedome of the Egyptians yet preached he nought to the people but from the mouth of the Lord. The Prophets though filled with knowledge yet prophesied they not of any priuate motion or by the will of man but spake onely as they were moued by the holy Ghost 2. Pet. 1. 21. Yea euen BalaaÌ„ durst not for an house full of gold go beyond the word of the Lord to say more or lesse Num. 22. 18. Christ himselfe preached nothing but what he receiued from his father Ioh. 12. 49. 50. and charged his Apostles to preach whatsoeuer he commanded them nought else Mat. 28. 20. therefore his sent-ones and messengers may preach nothing but his word 1. Resp By this reason no Preacher may speake a sentence in his Sermon which is not immediatly the Scripture according to matter forme and words and shall we so condemne all the men of God preaching since the Apostles times Nay out of thine owne mouth will I iudge thee ô euill seruant and slouthfull For what shall we thinke then of our talking Preachers who speake most of their owne braine and in many sentences speake often neither Scripture nor scant good reason to their people 2 By this reason they may not alleage Caluins exposition vnlesse they will make him the thirteenth Apostle and hath his Comments by diuine inspiration as had the Apostles Nay this excludeth Fathers Doctors and Schoolemen out of our Sermons when we dispute against the Papists 3 Who knoweth whether these holy men of God vsed not secular learning in their Sermons as well as Saint Paul Their Prophesies that we haue are but generall notes and summa capita of their Sermons as the c Prophetis fuiâ— mos postquam iussâ— crant aliquid populo nuncâ—are paucis summas rerum coÌ„plecti valâ—â—s templâ— praefigere ait Caluin praefat in Esa Comment in cap. â— 1. in Aba 2. 2. SolebaÌ„t Prophetae ex more suarum concionuÌ„ argumenta pracipua capita scripto comprehensa publicè legenda proponere aâ—â— Gualâ— homi 5. in Abac 2 2. Sic Dan 〈…〉 prolâ—gâ—m in 12. Prophet cap. 12. Sohn lib. 1. de verb Deâ— Vnde fit vt partes librorum Propheticorum interduÌ„ non satâ—â— cohâ—rere videantur De quo Origen lib. 1. in C 〈…〉 uÌ„ cant Ierom. in Ierem. 21. aâ—â—bi annotaâ—â—t Learned obserue And yet S. Ambrose Lib. 3. de fide cap. 1. dare auouch that euen in these generall notes of their Sermons the Prophets haue relation to poeticall stories And Saint Ierome Epist ad Rom. auoucheth it of both saying Quis nesciat in Mose in Prophetarum voluminibus quaedam assumpta de Gentilium libris Who can be ignorant that in Moses and the Prophets some things are taken out of the bookes of the Gentiles For the Apostles though in their Epistles to particular Churches none saue Saint Paule cite humanitie yet who can shew that in their popular Sermons to the Gentiles throughout the whole world they alleaged not truth out of Poets Philosophers and Historians seeing Christ promised them that his spirit should leade them not onely into truth but in omnem veritatem into all truth Ioh. 16. 13. 4 Though neither did as in shewing vs the immediat will of God and laying downe the grounds of faith it was not so conuenient to mixe it with mens precepts yet in expounding this will in explaning the sence of words and phrase of speech in declaring the nature of birds beasts and stones c. to which they allude we cannot cut the word aright without the vse of Grammarians in the proprietie acceptation of words without helpe of Logicians in distinguishing ambiguities without ayde of Rhetoricians in following precepts and rules of speech to perswade without helpe of Historiographers to calculate times of naturall Philosophie to scan causes and their effects Geometrie to find sites and situations and such like Wherefore though they onely spake immediatly from the Lord in declaring his will yet can we not without these helps expound
it fully to euery mans conceipt Moses receiued the law from the Lord at mount Sinai bringeth he nought else to expound it to Israel The Prophets explane Moses pentatench bring they nought else to declare it to the Iewes Christ and his Apostles explane the Prophets did not the holy Spirit cause them to bring Allegories Tropes Parables and Similitudes with many other things which are not in the Prophets to expound them And how can we silly ones of our selues open all the meanings of all these shew the nature of things to which they allude note the right acceptatiō of words which are ambiguous find out the distance of places which they insinuate and such like without Philosophers Poets Historians who haue truly declared them at large The reason then followeth not The Prophets and Apostles in laying downe the will of God and grounds of faith spake nothing but what they receiued immediatly from the Lord therfore Preachers in further opening of this will may not bring any truth from writers to expound it or make it more plaine to the ignorant Why then are any expositions of commenters alledged why do we open it by our own discourse ranging one sentence beyond the very words of the word but onely because they and we speake that which consenteth with the doctrin of faith And why is it not as good from Philosophers Poets and Historians as from our owne braine when it suteth with truth of the word and is according to the analogie of faith 5. Other reasons kept the Prophets and Apostles from alleadging Secular learning to their people which restraine not vs Christians First there were few or no secular writers before Moses wrote as witnessed f Lib 1. contra Appion Iosephus with others therefore he could not cite any And yet being learned in all the wisdome of Egypt see how in his books especially Genesis Philosophie Astronomie Geographie Arithmetike Histonographie and the liberal Arts shew themselues without the axiomes maxims and principles wherof we see commentators cannot fully expound him And how then can we deuide that word aright and search his scriptures to the bottome as we are commaunded Iohn 5. without these helpes affoorded vs from the Lord Secondly for the Prophets for Christ and his Apostles to what end should they haue alleaged any learning of the prophane Gentils to the Iewes who hated them extreamely They abhorred their companie and would not meddle with them Iohn 4. 9. much more would they detest their doctrine according to that law Deut. 7. They thought it pollution to eate of their meate Acts 11. 3. much more to tast of their learning They thought it pollution to admit their persons into their Temple Acts 21. 28. 29. and g Ioseph lib. 2◠contra Appion made them stand without as strangers Luke 18. 13. much lesse would they admit their doctrine into their hearts though they heard it with their eares And yet Paul being taught by Gamaliel and skilfull in secular learning thought it fit to cite it to the Gentiles who he knew woud receiue and beleeue it which for the contrary reason he would not do to the Iewes Wherefore fith neither this reason hindreth vs for God hath giuen vs these helpes to explane and contestate to his word and seeing we learne these heathen authors from our youth to informe our vnderstandings and reforme our wils and know them to be truth from the Lord who is the author of al truth we may more lawfully vse them for opening of his word when we find them agreeable thereunto 5. Ob. Yea but Ieremie chap. 14. 14 counts them false Prophets who spake any thing which they had not from the Lord but prophesied their owne vision vanitie and deceitfulnesse of their owne heart And chap. 23. 21 They prophesied saith the Lord when I spake not vnto them But if they had stood in my counsel they would haue declared my words vnto my people and not haue prophesied the deceipt of their owne heart They thinke to cause my people to forget my name by their dreames which they tel euery man to his neighbour The Prophet that hath a dreame let him tell a dreame and he that hath my word let him speake my word faithfully What is the chaffe to the wheate saith the Lord Ergo they are false teachers who speake from any but the Lord in his reuealed word 1. Resp. This place toucheth them most who in a priuate spirit of singularitie refusing all other mens writings open and preach his word presumptuously relying wholy on their owne iudgement and so make the Scripture propriae explicationis condemned by the Apostle 2. Pet. 1. 20. It toucheth not them who follow the iudgement of Gods Church conduct of that spirit which animateth the whole bodie of Christ the true expositions of Fathers commentators and grather truth dispersed among the heathens seeing the truth in al these is onely from the Lord. 2. Ieremie reprooueth them who spake that which was not from the Lord but all truth in secular writers being frō the holy Ghost euen from the Lord as anone shall be shewed this place rather is for it then against it He counts them false Prophets because they spake their own vision that was falshood as he after expounds it vers 26. 27. and mixed their lies with his truth as chaffe with wheate as the auncient and moderne both expound it And if any preach falshood out of secular writers this place checketh his teaching if truth sutable to the rule and square of Gods word he speaketh frō the Lord who is author of all truth as in my next answer shall be shewed Wherefore as the Apostle prophesied of these latter times that some should so farre giue heed vnto spirits of errour and doctrine of diuels that they wold command to abstaine from some kind of meates 1. Tim. 4. so may I say of them that forbid vs the lawfull vse of prophane writers which God hath giuen to be receiued with thankesgiuing of them that beleeue and know the truth For as euery creature of God so euery truth frō God is good and nothing of it ought to be refused if it be receiued with thankesgiuing for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer 6. Ob. Yea but Saint Paul chargeth euery Minister 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Tim. 1. 3. that he teach none other doctrine but keepe the patterne of wholesome words which we haue of Saint Paul 2. Tim. 1. 13. And if any man speake in the pulpit let him speake as the words of God 1. Pet. 4. Therefore neither may we speake any other thing nor otherwise then is in the word which is to adulterate and like hucsters to mingle it with humane deuices 2. Cor. 4. 1. Resp By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle meaneth teaching otherwise then agreeth with truth and analogie of faith in the scriptures as he expounds himselfe 1. Tim. 6. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c.
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
learned in all knowledge of the Egyptians Ioseph and Daniell in the knowledge of the Caldeans and Babylonians Salomon in all naturall Philosophie whereof he made so many bookes The Greeke Diuines as Iustine Martyr Chrysostome Epiphanius Athanasius Damascene Clemens Alexandrinus as I shewed before stuffed their Diuinitie exercises full of it and the Latine teachers Ierome Austine Lactantius Cyprian Hilarie Ambrose sometimes in exhortation sometimes in consolation though most often in disputation Nec debet apud nos valere ignauorum hominum obtrectatio saith Aretius that because of their priuate opinion and spirit of singularitie we should neglect like Aesops cocke so many pearles lying hid in the heapes of Philosophie and preferre a barly corne of our owne braine before that gemme of wisedome and truth Chrysostome whose apologie and practise hath bene vrged for this how oft citeth he secular learning in his popular Sermons when no controuersie was in hand To go ouer his workes Homil. de natiuit Dom. he alleageth historie twise Homil 66. ad pop Antioch historie once Homil. 9. in Mat. historie once Homil. 34. in Mat. on these words He that continueth to the end c. he produceth heathen examples of Plato Pythagoras Stoicke Philosophers Cynickes Dion Aristippus Diogenes and of Gentile Captains as Themistocles Pericles Xerxes for illustration Homil. 4. in Mat. historie once Homil. 12. in Mat. historie once Homil. 1. in Mat. historie twise Serm. cont concub he bringeth the fable of Tantalus to the people Homil. 4. de laud. Pauli Plato Pythagoras Armenius Socrates and such Philosophers for exemplification And Homil. 32. in 1. Cor. 12. he giues all Preachers this warrant Ex suis multa Doctor affert congruant modò Scripturae A Preacher may bring many things of his owne so that they agree with the Scripture What shall I say more of his practise hereof then Erasmus who had read him better then we haue or can witnesseth of his Sermons b Erasm in vit Chrysost praefix Chrysost saying Omnes humanas disciplinas cogit seruire Christianae pietati sic admiscens quasi vinum generosum aqua modica diluas Nusquam est aquae vel color vel sapor sed tamen sentis vinum esse suauius For c 2. Mach. 15. 40. as it may somtime seeme lesse pleasant to drinke wine alone and then againe water and as wine tempered with water is pleasant and delighteth the tast so the setting out of the matter thus by secular learning makes it relish better in our eares Neither is this instar cauponum as the d 2. Cor. 4. Apostle calleth thē like Vinteners or Victuallers to adulterate this wine and mingle it with water as the Lord himselfe complained of the Iewes according to Ieromes translation Caupones tui miscent vino aquam for he taxeth them as Christ did the Pharisees Mat. 15. for mingling mens precepts with Gods pure law in matters of faith and religion and I will adde with Ierome on that place Omnisque Doctor c. and euery teacher or writer either that seeketh more to please then profite his hearers or readers vinum aqua miscet he mingleth yea turneth wine into water e Lib. 3 de fid cap. 1. Ambrose also being once checked as it seemes for vsing Poets in Diuinitie apologizeth himselfe by the example of S. Paule who learned it of the Prophets that haue oft relation to poeticall stories as he sheweth and therefore vseth Poets in his popular Sermons Luther Tom. 1. in his popular Sermons on the commaundements brings often Fathers schoolemen Lawyers Poets Historie Philosophie yea Aesops fables to his people when no controuersie was in hand See but one Sermon for all on the sixt precept he citeth Fathers as Austine Ierome Bernard long sentences with their names yea whole verses out of Horace Iuuenal and Ouid naming them thicke when no question was controuersed and oft produceth long Greeke sentences to his people which he doth not expound Iohn Hus also that blessed Martyr in his Sermons though indeed they were ad Clerum vseth Fathers often with their names and Serm. in Iaco. 2. he citeth diuerse Poets with their names and produceth many verses together when no controuersie was in hand Gualther in his large and many Homilies which were his popular Sermons bringeth verses out of Poets examples out of stories axiomes from Philosophers and sentences from Fathers not a few when no controuersie with Papists is in hand Bullinger as precise in the manner of teaching as might be vseth in his Homilies to the people both Greeke and Latine Fathers old and new Historians Geographers Poets Greeke and Latine Philosophers of all sorts oft and in aboundance when no controuersie is in hand Lauater in his Sermons to the people of Tigurie doth the like See but Homil. 6. in Ios one for all where he brings Fathers Historians and Poets to illustrate and open a point What shall I say more The best and most famous Preachers of our Church haue done and yet do the like euen brought examples of temperance humilitie iustice patience contentation chastity and all vertues from heathē men to prouoke Christians to follow them for shame And if neither places of Scripture expounded by ancient and moderne writers nor reasons can preuaile with men of reason nor the authoritie of all Ecclesiasticall writers nor their practise perswade Puritanes priuat spirit to do as they did yet might me thinkes the practise of God himselfe perswade them who cited the heathens constancie to prouoke the Iewes to perseuere Ier. 2. 10. Go ye to the Iles of Chittim and behold send vnto Kedar and take diligent heede and see whether there be such things hath any nation changed their gods as my people So did the Prophets Esai prouoked the vnthankfull Iewes to gratitude by the example of the Oxe and the Asse Ieremie the secure Iewes to oportunitie by the examples of the Swallow Turtle and Crane Salomon the slouthfull to labour by the example of the Emmet Our Sauiour did the like when he commended the Centurions faith Math. 8. to taxe the perfidious and vnbeleeuing Iewes by the Niniuites example he vrged the negligent Iewes to repentance By the Lepers returne inuited he them to thankfulnesse by that iourney of the Queene of the South that reading of the Eunuch that almes of Cornelius and that hospitalititie of the widdow of Sarepta laboured he to prouoke the Iewes for shame to follow them And though some may obiect these were cited from the old Testament yet alleaged he not in the new all the heathens when he pricked forward his hearers with this spurre Nonne Ethnici hoc faciunt Math. 5. His Apostle did the like Rom. 2. 27. This is the practise of God himselfe and his Prophets of Christ and his Apostles of the auncient and recent homilists in their popular sermons and as he said aut hoc satis testium est aut nihil est Now there is one obiection against all which was