the faults of others He that couereth a transgression seeketh loue Pr. 17.9 Ec. 8.2 but he that repeateth a matter separateth the Prince To these hee is diligent taking heed to the mouth of the King and therefore worthily standeth before Kings and not before the base sort and withall true and faithfull when hee vndertakes anothers suit hee lingers not Pr. 22.29 knowing that The hope that is deferred is the fainting of the heart Pr. 13.12 Pr. 17.8 and though A bribe or reward is as a stone pleasant in the eies of them that haue it and prospereth whithersoeuer it turneth Pr. 19.6 Pr. 21.6 for euery man is a friend to him that giueth gifts yet hee accounteth the gathering of treasures by a deceitfull tongue to be vanity tossed to and fro of them that seeke death SALOMONS SVBIECT §. 9. His duty to His Prince Reuerence Obedience Fellow-Subiects EVery gouernment presupposeth Subiects Pr. 14.18 In the multitude of the people is the honour of the King and for the want of people commeth the destruction of the Prince Of whom God requires in respect of the Prince Reuerence Obedience Pr. 19.6 Pr. 29.26 Ec. 10.20 Pr. 24.21 Pr. 17.11 Ec. 10.20 Pr. 17.11 Pr. 24.22 That they should reuerence and seeke the face of the Prince not cursing the King so much as in their thought nor the rich in their bed-chamber but fearing the Lord and the King and not meddling with the seditious which only seeke euill For as the Fowle of the heauen shall carry the voice and the master of the wing declare the matter so for reuenge a cruell messenger shall be sent against theÌ„ their destruction shall arise suddenly and who knoweth their ruine For their due homage therefore and obedience to lawes they take heed to the mouth of the King and the word of the oath of God Ec. 8.2 and if a law be enacted Ec. 10.8 Ec. 10.9 Ec. 8 3. they violate it not nor striue for innouation Hee that breakes the hedge a serpent shall bite him He that remoueth stones shall hurt himselfe thereby and hee that cutteth wood shall be in danger thereby And if they haue offended they haste not to goe forth of the Princes sight nor stand in an euill thing for he will doe what-euer pleaseth him Ec. 10.4 but rather if the spirit of him that ruleth rise vp against them by gentlenesse pacifie great sinnes §. 10. To his fellow-Subiects in respect of more publike societie is required 1. Regard to Superiors in Estate Desert Inferiors Equals 2. Commerce more priuate societie Iust maintenance of each mans proprietie Truth of friendship Pr. 22.7 Pr. 27.21 IN respect of themselues he requires due regard of degrees whether of superiors The rich ruleth the poore and as the fining pot is for siluer and the furnace for gold so is euery man tryed according to his dignity so as they that come from the holy place be not forgotten in the City Ec. 8.10 Pr. Pr. 11.12 Pr. 14.21 where they haue done right or whether of inferiors for A poore man if he oppresse the poore Is like a raging raine that leaueth no food yea lesse than oppression He that despiseth his neighbour is both a sinner and destitute of vnderstanding or lastly of equals and therein quiet and peaceable demeanour not striuing with others causelesse Pr. 3.30 Pr. 17.14 Pr 25.9 Pr. 25.8 Pr. 26.17 Pr. 6.16 19. not to beginne contentions for the beginning of strife is as one that openeth the waters therefore ere it be medled with he leaueth off and being prouoked debateth the matter with his neighbour And as he goes not forth hastily to strife so much lesse doth he take part in impertinent quarrels Hee that passeth by and medleth with the strife that belongs not to him is as one that takes a dogge by the eare and one of the six things that God hates is he that raiseth vp contentions among neighbours Ec. 5.8 Pr. 8.19 Secondly mutuall commerce and interchange of commodities without which is no liuing The abundance of the earth is ouer all and the King consists by the field that is tilled The husbandman therefore must till his land that hee may bee satisfied with bread for much increase commeth by the strength of the Oxe Pr. 14.4 Pr. 11. â—6 Pr. 24.30 31. and moreouer he must sell corne that blessings may be vpon him which if he withdraw the people shall curse him so that the slothfullman whose field is ouer growne with thornes and nettles is but an ill member Pr. 31.14 And againe The Merchant must bring his wares from farre and each so trade with other Ec. 10.19 P. 22.28 Pr. 23.10 Pr. 23.11 Pr. Pr. 23.4 Pr. 28.22 Pr. 28.20 Pr. 20.21 that both may liue They prepare bread for laughter and wine comforts the liuing but siluer answereth to all For lesse publike society is required due reseruation of propriety not to remoue the ancient bounds which his fathers haue made not to enter into the field of the fatherlesse for he that redeemeth them is mighty not to increase his riches by vsury and interest not to hasten ouer-much to be rich for such one knoweth not that pouerty shall come vpon him and that an heritage hastily gotten in the beginning in the end thereof shall not bee blessed and that in the meane time The man that is greedy of gaine Pr. 15.27 Pr. 18.24 troubleth his owne house 2. Truth of friendship A man that hath friends ought to shew himselfe friendly for a friend is neerer than a brother Pr. 27.10 Pr. 27.6 Pr. 27.9 Thy owne friend therefore and thy fathers friend forget thou not for whether he reproue thee The wounds of a louer are faithfull or whether he aduise As ointment and perfume reioyce the heart so doth the sweetnesse of a mans friend by hearty counsell or whether he exhort Pr. 27.17 Pr. 19.4 Pr. 17.17 Pr. 27 19. Pr. 25.17 iron sharpens iron so doth a man sharpen the face of his friend and all this not in the time of prosperitie only as commonly Riches gather many friends and the poore is separated from his neighbour but contrarily A true friend loueth at all times and a brother is borne for aduersity in all estates therefore as the face in the water answers to face so the heart of man to man who yet may not be too much pressed Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbours house lest he be weary of thee and hate thee neither enter into thy brothers house in the day of thy calamity nor againe Pr. 27.10 too forward in proffering kindnesse to his owne losse A man destitute of vnderstanding Pr. 17.18 Pr. 6.1 2 c. Pr. 6.3 toucheth the hand and becommeth surety for his neighbour If therefore thou art become surety for thy neighbour much more if thou hast stricken hands with the stranger thou art snared with the words of thine owne mouth
grace returne that both my selfe and all the companie of Angels may see and reioice in thee and what shall yee see O all yee hoasts of heauen what shall yee see in my Church Euen such an awfull grace and maiestie as is in a well-marshalled army ready to meet with the enemie CHAP. VII 1. How beautifull are thy goings with shooes O Princes daughter the compasse of thy hips like iewels the worke of the hand of a cunning workeman HOw beautifull are thy feet O daughter of the Highest being shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace and readily addressed to run the way of the commandements of thy God! thou art compassed about thy loines with the girdle of veritie which is both precious for the matter of it and cunningly framed by the skill of the spirit of truth 2. Thy nauell is as a round cup that wanteth not liquor thy bellie is as an heape of wheat compassed about with Lillies The nauell whereby all thy spirituall conceptions receiue their nourishment is full of all fruitfull supply and neuer wants meanes of sustenance to feed them in thy wombe which also is so plenteous in thy blessed increase that it is as an heape of wheat consisting of infinite pure graines which consort together with much sweetnesse and pleasure 3. Thy two brests are as two young Kids that are twinnes Thy two Testaments which are thy two full and comely brests by whose wholsome milke thou nourishest all thy faithfull children once borne into the light are for their excellent and perfect agreement and their amiable proportion like two twinnes of Kids 4. Thy necke is like a Tower of Iuorie thine eies are like artificiall pooles in a frequented gate thy nose is as the Tower of Lebanon that looketh toward Damascus Those who by their holy authoritie support thy gouernment which are as some straight and strong necke to beare vp thy head are for their height and defence like a Tower for their order purenesse and dignitie like a Tower of Iuory thy Teachers and Ministers which are thine eies are like vnto some cleare and artificiall ponds of water in a place of greatest resort wherein all commers may see the faces of their consciences and whence they may plentifully draw the Waters of life Thy nose by which all spirituall sents are conuayed to thee is perfectly composed and featured like some curious Turret of that goodly house in Lebanon so as thy iudgement and power of discerning the spirits is admirable for the order and excellencie thereof 5. Thine head vpon thee is as scarlet and the bush of thine head like purple the King is tied in thy beames The whole tyre of thine head which are the ceremonies vsed by thee are very gracefull and of high estimation and price to all the beholders and as for me I am so enamoured of thee that I am euen tied by my owne desire to a perpetuall presence in thine holy assemblies 6. How faire art thou and how pleasant art thou O my loue in pleasures Oh how beautifull and louely art thou therefore O my Church in all thy parts and ornaments how sweet and pleasant art thou O my Loue in whatsoeuer might giue me true contentment 7. This thy stature is like a Palme-tree and thy brests like clusters Thy whole frame is for goodlinesse and straight growth like vnto some tall Palme-tree which the more it is depressed by the violence of persecutions riseth the more and the two brests of thy Testaments are like two full iuicie clusters which yeeld comfortable and abundant refreshing 8. I said I will goe vp into the Palme-tree I will take hold of her boughs thy brests shall now be like the clusters of the Vines and the sauour of thy nose like Apples Seeing then thou art my Palme-tree I haue resolued in my selfe to adioine my selfe to thee to enioy thee to gather those sweet fruits of thy graces which thou yeeldest and by my presence also will cause thee to be more plentifull in all good workes and doctrine so as thou shalt afford abundance of heauenly liquor vnto all the thirstie soules of thy children and an acceptable verdure of holinesse and obedience vnto me 9. And the roofe of thy mouth like good wine which goeth straight vp to my Wel-beloued and causeth the lips of him that is asleepe to speake And the deliuerie of my Word by the mouthes of my Ministers shall be as some excellent wine which sparkleth right vpward being well accepted of that God in whose name it is taught and looketh most pleasantly in the glasse being no lesse highly esteemed of the receiuers which is of such wonderfull power that it is able to put words both of repentance and praise into the lips of him that lies asleepe in his sinnes The Church 10. I am my Wel-beloueds and his desire is toward me BEhold such as I am I am not my owne much lesse am I any others I am wholly my Sauiours and now I see and feele whatsoeuer I had deserued that hee is mine also in all intire affection who hath both chosen mee and giuen himselfe for mee 11. Come my Wel-beloued let vs goe into the fields let vs lodge in the villages Come therefore O my deare Sauiour let vs ioine together in our naturall care let thy Spirit and my seruice be intent vpon thy Congregations here below on earth and let vs stay in the place where our spirituall Husbandrie lieth 12. Let vs goe vp early in the morning to the Vines and see if the Vine flourish whether it hath disclosed the first Grapes or whether the Pomegranats blossome there will I giue thee my loue Let vs with all haste and cheerfulnesse visit the fruitfull vines of our beleeuing children and to our mutuall comfort be witnesses and partakers of all the signes and fruits of grace of all those good workes and thanksgiuings of those holy endeuours and worthy practices which they yeeld forth vnto vs let vs iudge of their forwardnesse and commend it whereupon it will easily appeare that the consummation of our happy mariage draweth neere in which there shall be a perfect vnion betwixt vs. 13. The Mandrakes haue giuen a smell and in our gates are all sweet things new and old my Well-beloued I haue kept them for thee Behold thy godly seruants which not onely beare fruit themselues but are powerfull in the prouocation of others present their best seruices vnto thee and euen at our doores not farre to seeke not hard to procure is offer made vnto thee of all variety of fruit whether from thy young Conuerts or thy more setled Professors and all these I spend not lauishly but in my louing care duely reserue them for thee and for the solemne day of our full mariage CHAP. VIII The Iewish Church 1. Oh that thou werest as my brother that sucked the brest of my mother I would finde thee without I would kisse thee then they should not despise me OH that
I am glad of your sorrow and should weepe for you if you did not thus mourne Your sorrow is that you cannot enough grieue for your sinnes Let me tell you that the Angels themselues sing at this lamentation neither doth the earth afford any so sweet musicke in the cares of God This heauinesse is the way to ioy Worldly sorrow is worthy of pity because it leadeth to death but this deserues nothing but enuy and gratulation If those teares were common hell would not so enlarge it selfe Neuer sinne repented of was punished and neuer any thus mourned and repented not Loe you haue done that which you grieue you haue not done That good God whose act is his will accounts of our will as our deed If he required sorrow proportionable to the hainousnesse of our sins there were no end of mourning Now his mercy regards not so much the measure as the truth of it and accounts vs to haue that which wee complaine to want I neuer knew any truly penitēt which in the depth of his remorse was afraid of sorrowing too much nor any vnrepentant which wisht to sorrow more Yea let me tell you that this sorrow is better and more then that deepe heauinesse for sinne which you desire Many haue been vexed with an extreame remorse for some sinne from the gripes of a galled conscience which yet neuer came where true repentance grew in whom the conscience playes at once the accuser witnesse Iudge tormentor but an earnest griefe for the want of griefe was neuer found in any but a gracious heart You are happy and complaine Tell me I beseech you This sorrow which you mourne to want is it a grace of the spirit of God or not If not why doe you sorrow to want it If it be oh how happy is it to grieue for want of grace The God of all truth and blessednesse hath said Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and with the same breath Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted You say you mourne Christ saith you are blessed you say you mourne Christ saith you shall be comforted Either now distrust your Sauiour or else confesse your happinesse with patience expect his promised consolation What doe you feare You see others stand like strong Oakes vnshaken vnremoued you are but a reed a feeble plant tossed and bowed with euery wind and with much agitation bruised Loe you are in tender and fauourable hands that neuer brake any whom their sinnes bruised neuer bruised any whom temptations haue bowed You are but flax and your best is not a flame but an obscure smoake of grace Loe here his spirit is as a soft wind not as cold water he will kindle will neuer quench you The sorrow you want is his gift Take heed lest while you vex your selfe with dislike of the measure you grudge at the giuer Beggers may not chuse This portion he hath vouchsafed to giue you if you haue any it is more then he was bound to bestow yet you say What no more as if you tooke it vnkindly that hee is no more liberall Euen these holy discontentments are dangerous Desire more so much as you can but repine not when you doe not attaine Desire but so as you be free from impatience free from vnthankfulnesse Those that haue tryed can say how difficult it is to complaine with due reseruation of thankes Neither know I whether is worse To long for good things impatiently or not at all to desire them The fault of your sorrow is rather in your conceit then in it selfe And if indeed you mourne not enough stay but Gods leisure and your eyes shall runne ouer with teares How many doe you see sport with their sinnes yea brag of them How many that should die for want of pastime if they might not sin freely and more freely talke of it What a Saint are you to these that can droop vnder the memory of the frailty of youth and neuer thinke you haue spent enow teares Yet so I encourage you in what you haue as one that perswades you not to desist from suing for more It is good to be couetous of grace and to haue our desires herein enlarged with our receits Weepe still and still desire to weepe but let your teares be as the raine in a sunne-shine comfortable and hopefull and let not your longing sauour of murmur or distrust These teares are reserued this hunger shall be satisfied this sorrow shall bee comforted There is nothing betwixt God and you but time Prescribe not to his wisedome hasten not his mercy His grace is enough for you his glory shall be more then enough To M. HVGH CHOLMLEY EP. V. Concerning the Metaphrase of the Psalmes FEare not my immoderate studies I haue a body that controls me enough in these courses my friends need not There is nothing whereof I could sooner surfet if I durst neglect my body to satisfie my mind But whiles I affect knowledge my weaknesse checkes me and sayes Better a little learning then no health I yeeld and patiently abide my selfe debarred of my chosen felicity The little I can get I am no niggard of neither am I more desirous to gather then willing to impart The full handed are commonly most sparing We vessels that haue any empty roome answer the least knock with a hollow noyse you that are full sound not If we pardon your closenesse you may well bear with our profusiō If there be any wrong it is to our selues that we vtter what wee should lay vp It is a pardonable fault to do lesse good to our selues that wee may doe more to others Amongst other endeauours I haue boldly vndertaken the holy Metres of Dauid how happily iudge you by what you see There is none of all my labours so open to all censures none whereof I would so willingly heare the verdit of the wise and iudicious Perhaps some thinke the verse harsh whose nice eare regards roundnesse more then sense I embrace smoothnesse but affect it not This is the least good quality of a verse that intends any thing but musicall delight Others may blame the difficulty of the tunes whose humour cannot be pleased without a greater offence For to say truth I neuer could see good verse written in the wonted measures I euer thought them most easie and least Poeticall This fault if any will light vpon the negligence of our people which endure not to take paines for any fit variety The French and Dutch haue giuen vs worthy examples of diligence and exquisitnesse in this kind Neither our eares nor voyces are lesse tunable Here is nothing wanting but will to learne What is this but to eate the corne out of the eare because we will not abide the labour to grinde and knead it If the question bee whether our verse must descend to them or they ascend to it wise moderation I thinke would determine it most equall that each part should
true Messias Let now all the Doctors of those obstinate Synagogues answer this doubt of their owne obiecting But how past all contradiction is the ancient witnesse of all the holy Prophets answered and confirmed by their euents whose foresayings verified in all particular issues are more then demonstratiue No Art can describe a thing past vvith more exactnesse then they did this Christ to come What circumstance is there that hath not his perâ—â—ction Haue they not fore-vvritteâ— who shoâ—â—â— be his mother A Virgin Of what Tribe of Iuda Of vvhat house of Dauid What place Bethleem vvhat time vvhen the scepter should be taken from Iuda Or after sixtie nine vveekes What name Iesus Immanuel What habitation Nazareth What harbinger Iohn the second Elias What his businesse to preach saue deliuer What entertainment reiection What death the Crosse What manner piercing the body not breaking the bones What company amidst two vvicked ones Where at Ierusalem Whereabouts vvithout the Gates With vvhat vvords of imploration What draught of Vineger and Gall vvho vvas his Traitor and vvith vvhat successe If all the Synagogues of the Circumcision all the gates of Hell can obscure these euidences let me be a proselyte My labour herein is so much lesse as there is lesse danger of Iudaisme Our Church is vvell rid of that accursed Nation vvhom yet Rome harbors and in a fashion graces vvhiles in stead of spitting at or that their Neapolitan correction vvhereof Gratian speaks the Pope solemnly receiues at their hands that Bible vvhich they at once approue and ouerthrow But vvould God there vvere no more Iewes then appeare Euen in this sense also hee is a Iew that is one vvithin plainely vvhose heart doth not sincerely confesse his Redeemer Tho a Christian Iew is no other then an Atheist and therfore must be scourged else-where The Iew thus answered The Turke stands out for his Mahomet that cozening Arabian vvhose Religion if it deserue that name stands vpon nothing but rude ignorance and palpable Imposture Yet loe here a subtill Diuell in a grosse religion For when he saw that he could not by single twists of Heresie pull downe the well built walls of the Church hee vvindes them all vp in one Cable to see if his cord of so many folds might happily preuaile raising vp vvicked Mahomet to deny vvith Sabellius the distinction of persons with Arrius Christs diuinity with Macedonius the Deity of the Holy Ghost with Sergius two wils in Christ with Marcion Christs suffering And these policies seconded vvith violence how haue they vvasted Christendome O damnable mixture miserably successefull vvhich yet could not haue beene but that it meets with sottish Clients and sooths vp nature and debars both all knowledge and contraction What is their Alcoran but a fardle of foolish impossibilities Whosoeuer shall heare me relate the stories of Angell Adriels death Seraphuels trumpet Gabriels bridge Horroth and Marroths hanging the Moones descending into Mahomets sleeue the Litter wherin he saw God caried by eight Angels their ridiculous and swinish Paradise and thousands of the same bran would say that Mahomet hoped to meet either vvith beasts or mad-men Besides these barbarous fictions behold their lawes full of licence full of impietie in which reuenge is incouraged multitude of vviues allowed theft tolerated and the frame of their opinions such as vvell bewrayes their whole religion to be but the mungrell issue of an Arrian Iew Nestorian and Arabian A monster of many seeds and all accursed In both vvhich regards Nature her selfe in vvhose breast God hath written his royall Law tho in part by her defaced hath light enough to condemne a Turke as the worst Pagan Let no man looke for further disproofe These follies a wise Christian will scorne to confute and fearce vouchsafe to laugh at The Greekish Church so the Russes tearme themselues put in the next claime but with no better successe whose infinite Clergy affords not a man that can giue either reason or account of their owne doctrine These are the basest dregs of all Christians so we fauourably terme them tho they perhaps in more simplicitie then wilfulnesse would admit none of all the other Christian world to their font but those who in a solemne renunciation spit at and abiure their former God Religion Baptisme yet peraduenture wee might more iustly terme them Nicolaitans for that obscure Saint if a Saint if honest by an vnequall diuision findes more homage from them then his master These are as ignorant as Turkes as idolatrous as Heathens as obstinate as Iewes and more superstitious then Papists To speake ingenuously from that I haue heard and read if the worst of the Romish religion and the best of the Moscouitish bee compared the choice will be hard whether should be lesse ill I labour the lesse in all these whose remotenesse and absurditie secure vs from infection and whose onely name is their confutation I descend to that maine riuall of Truth which creepes into her bosome and is not lesse neere then subtle the religion if not rather the faction of Papisme whose plea is importunate and so much more dangerous as it caries fairer probability Since then of all religions the Christian obtaineth let vs see of those that are called Christian which should command assent and profession Euery religion beares in her lineaments the image of her parent the true Religion therefore is spirituall and lookes like God in her puritie all false religions are carnall and carie the face of Nature their mother and of him whose illusion begot them Satan In summe Nature neuer conceiued any which did not fauour her nor the spirit any which did not oppugne her Let this then be the Lydian stone of this tryall we need no more Whether Religion soeuer doth more plausibly content Nature is false whether giues more sincere glory to God is his Truth Lay aside preiudice Whither I beseech you tendeth all Popery but to make Nature either vainly proud or carelessely wanton What can more aduance her pride then to tell her that she hath in her own hands freedome enough of will with a little preuention to prepare her selfe to her iustification that she hath whereof to reioyce some what which shee hath not receiued that if God please but to vnfetter her she can walke alone She is insolent enough of her selfe this flatterie is enough to make her mad of conceit After this That if God will but beare halfe the charges by his cooperation she may vndertake to merit her owne glory and braue God in the proofe of his most accurate iudgement to fulfill the whole royall law and that from the superfluitie of her owne satisfactions shee may bee abundantly beneficiall to her neighbours that naturally without faith a man may doe some good workes that we may repose confidence in our merits Neither is our good onely by this flatterie extolled but our ill also diminished our euils are our sinnes some of them they say are in their
with both and neither I flatter you not this of yours is the worst of all tempers heat and cold haue their vses luke-warmnesse is good for nothing but to trouble the stomacke Those that are spiritually hot finde acceptation those that are starke cold haue a lesser reckoning the meane betweene both is so much worse as it comes neerer to good and attaines it not How long wilt you halt in this indifferency Resolue one way and know at last what you doe hold what you should Cast off either your wings or your teeth and loathing this Bat-like nature be either a bird or a beast To dye wauering and vncertaine your selfe will grant fearfull If you must settle when begin you If you must beginne why not now It is dangerous deferring that whose want is deadly and whose opportunity is doubtfull God cryeth with Iehu Who is on my side who Looke at last out of your window to him and in a resolute courage cast downe this Iezabel that hath bewitched you Is there any impediment which delay will abate Is there any which a iust answer cannot remoue If you had rather wauer who can settle you But if you loue not inconstancy tell vs why you stagger Bee plaine or else you will neuer bee firme What hinders you Is it our diuisions I see you shake your head at this and by your silent gesture bewray this the cause of your distaste Would God I could either deny this with truth or amend it with teares But I grant it with no lesse sorrow then you with offence This earth hath nothing more lamentable then the ciuill jarres of one faith What then Must you defie your mother because you see your brethren fighting Their dissension is her griefe Must she lose some sonnes because some others quarrell Doe not so wrong your selfe in afflicting her Will you loue Christ the lesse because his coat is diuided Yea let mee bodly say The hemme is torne a little the garment is whole or rather it is fretted a little not torne or rather the fringe not the hem Behold here is one Christ one Creed one Baptisme one Heauen one way to it in summe one religion one foundation and take away the tumultuous spirits of some rigorous Lutherans one heart our differences are those of Paul and Barnabas not those of Peter and Magus if they be some it is well they are no more if many that they are not capitall Shew me that Church that hath not complained of distraction yea that family yea that fraternity yea that man that alwayes agrees with himselfe See if the Spouse of Christ in that heauenly mariage song doe not call him a young Hart in the mountaines of diuision Tell me then whither wil you go for truth if you will allow no truth but where there is no diuision To Rome perhaps famous for vnitie famous for peace See now how happily you haue chosen how well you haue sped Loe there Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe a witnesse aboue exception vnder his owne hand acknowledgeth to the world and reckons vp 237 contrarieties of doctrine among the Romish Diuines VVhat need we more euidence O the perfect accordance of Peters See! worthy to be recorded for a badge of truth Let now all our aduersaries scrape together so many contradictions of opinions amongst vs as they confesse amongst themselues and be you theirs No they are not more peaceable but more subtle they haue not lesse dissension but more smothered They fight closely within doores without noyse all our frayes are in the field would God wee had as much of their cunning as they want of our peace and no more of their policy then they want of our truth Our strife is in ceremonies their 's substance ours in one or two points theirs in all Take it boldly from him that dares auouch it there is not one point in all Diuinity except those wherein we accord with them wherein they all speak the same If our Church displease you for differences theirs much more vnlesse you will be either wilfully incredulous or wilfully partiall vnlesse you dislike a mischiefe the lesse for the secrecy VVhat will you doe then VVill you be a Church alone Alas how full are you of contradictions to your selfe how full of contrary purposes how oft doe you chide with your selfe how oft doe you fight with your selfe I appeale to that bosome which is priuy to those secret combats beleeue me not if euer you find perfect vnity any where but aboue either goe thither and seeke it amongst those that triumph or be content with what estate you finde in this warfaring number Truth is in differences as gold in drosse wheat in chaffe will you cast away the best mettall the best graine because it is mingled with this offall VVill you rather bee poore and hungry then bestow labour on the farme or the furnace Is there nothing worth your respect but peace I haue heard that the interlacing of discords graces the best musick and I know not whether the very euill spirits agree not with themselues If the body be sound what though the coat be torne or if the garment be whole what if the lace be vnript Take you peace let me haue truth I cannot haue both To conclude Embrace those truths that we all hold and it greatly matters not what you hold in those wherein we differ and if you loue your safety seeke rather grounds whereon to rest then excuses for your vnrest If euer you looke to gaine by the truth you must both chuse it and cleaue to it Meere resolution is not enough except you will rather lose your selfe then it To Sir EDMVND LVCY EPIST. VI. Discoursing of the different degrees of heauenly glory and of our mutuall knowledge of each other aboue AS those which neuer were at home now after much heare-say trauelling toward it aske in the way What manner of house it is what seat what frame what soile so doe we in the passage to our glory we are all pilgrimes thither yet so as that some haue lookt into it afarre through the open windowes of the Scripture Goe to then whiles others are enquiring about worldly dignities and earthly pleasures let vs two sweetly consult of the estate of our future happinesse yet without presumption without curiositie Amongst this infinite choice of thoughts it hath pleased you to limit our discourse to two heads You aske first if the ioyes of the glorified Saints shall differ in degrees I feare not to affirme it There is one life of all one felicity but diuers measures Our heauen beginnes here and here varies in degrees One Christian enioyes God aboue another according as his grace as his faith is more and heauen is still like it selfe not other aboue from that beneath As our grace begins our glory so it proportions it Blessednesse stands in the perfect operation of the best faculties about the perfectest obiect that is in the vision in the fruition of God All
not dare to vent them out either by your hand or tongue to trouble the common peace It is a miserable praise to bee a witty disturber Neither will it serue you to be thus good alone but if God shall giue you the honour of this estate the world will looke you should be the graue guide of a well-ordered family for this is proper to vs that the vices of our charge reflect vpon vs the sinnes of others are our reproach If another mans children mis-cary the Parent is pitied if a Ministers censured yea not our seruant is faulty vvithout our blemish In all these occasions a misery incident to vs alone our griefe is our shame To descend nearer vnto the sacred affaires of this heauenly trade in a Minister Gods Church is accounted both his house to dwell in and his field to worke in vvherein vpon the penalty of a curse he faithfully wisely diligently deuoutly deales with God for his people with his people for and from God Whether he instruct hee must doe it with euidence of the spirit or whether he reproue with courage and zeale or whether he exhort with meeknesse and yet with power or whether he confute with demonstration of truth not with rage and personall maliciousnesse not with a wilfull heat of contradiction or whether he admonish with long-suffering and loue without preiudice and partialitie in a word all these he so doth as he that desires nothing but to honour God and saue men His wisdome must discerne betwixt his sheepe and wolues in his sheepe betwixt the wholesome and vnsound in the vnfound betwixt the weake and tainted in the tainted betwixt the natures qualities degrees of the disease and infection and to all these he must know to administer a word in season He hath Antidotes for all tentations counsels for all doubts euictions for all errors for all languishings incouragements No occasion from any altered estate of the soule may finde him vnfurnished He must ascend to Gods Altar with much awe with sincere and cheerefull deuotion so taking celebrating distributing is Sauiour as thinking himselfe at table in heauen with the blessed Angels In the meane time as he wants not a thankefull regard to the Master of the feast so not care of the guests The greatnesse of an offender may not make him sacrilegiously partiall nor the obscurity negligent I haue said little of any of our duties and of some nothing yet enough I think to make you if not timorous carefull Neither vvould I haue you hereupon to hide your selfe from this calling but to prepare your selfe for it These times call for them that are faithfull and if they may spare some learning conscience they can not Goe on happily it argues a minde Christianly noble to bee incouraged with the need of his labours with the difficulties To Mrs A. P. EP. VI. A discourse of the signes and proofes of a true faith THere is no comfort in a secret felicitie To be happy and not know it is little aboue miserable Such is your state onely herein better then the common case of the most that the well of life lyes open before you but your eyes like Agars are not open to see it vvhiles they haue neither water nor eyes We doe not much more want that which vve haue not then that which we doe not know we haue Let mee tell you some of that spirituall eye-salue which the Spirit commends to his Laodiceans that you may clearely see how well you are There is nothing but those scales betwixt you and happinesse Thinke not much that I espy in you what your selfe sees not Too much neerenesse oft-times hindreth sight and if for the spots of our own faces we trust others eyes why not for our perfections You are in heauen and know it not He that beleeues is already passed from death to life You beleeue whiles you complaine of vnbeleefe If you complained not I should mis-doubt you more then you doe your selfe because you complaine Secure and insolent presumption hath killed many that breathes nothing but confidence and safety and abandons all doubts and condemnes them That man neuer beleeued that neuer doubted This liquor of faith is neuer pure in these vessels of clay without these lees of distrust What then Thinke not that I incourage you to doubt more but perswade you not to bee discouraged with doubting All vncertaintie is comfortlesse those that teach men to coniecture and forbid to resolue reade lectures of misery Those doubts are but to make way for assurance as the oft shaking of the tree fastens it more at the root You are sure of God but you are afraid of your selfe The doubt is not in his promise but your application Looke into your owne heart How know you that you know any thing that you beleeue that you will that you approue that you affect any thing If a man like your selfe promise you ought you know whether you trust him whether you relye your selfe on his fidelitie Why can you not know it in him that is God and man The difference is not in the act but the obiect But if these habits because of their inward and ambiguous nature seeme hard to be descried turne your eyes to those open markes that cannot beguile you How many haue bragged of their Faith when they haue embraced nothing but a vaine cloud of presumption Euery man repeats his Creed few feele it few practise it Take two boughs in the dead of winter how like is one wood to another how hardly discerned Afterwards By their fruit you shall know them That faith whose nature was obscure is euident in his effects What is faith but the hand of the soule What is the dutie of the hand but either to hold or worke This hand then holds Christ workes obedience and holinesse and if this act of apprehension be as secret as the cause since the closed hand hideth still what it holdeth see the hand of faith open see what it worketh and compare it vvith your owne proofe Deny if you can yet I had rather appeale to any Iudge then your preiudiced selfe that in all your needs you can step boldly to the Throne of Heauen and freely powre out your enlarged heart to your God and craue of him vvhether to receiue what you vvant or that you may vvant vvhat you haue and would not Be assured from God this can be done by no power but that you feare to misse of faith God as he is not so he is not called a father without this In vain doth he pray that cannot cal God father No father without the spirit of adoption no spirit without faith vvithout this you may babble you cannot pray Assume you that you can pray I dare conclude vpon my soule You beleeue As little as you loue your selfe denie if you can that you loue God Say that your Sauiour from heauen should aske you Peters question could your soule returne any other answer then Lord thou
the doore and the way hath taught vs that through many afflictions wee must enter into heauen There is but one passage and that a strait one If with much pressure vvee can get through and leaue but our superfluous ragges as torne from vs in the crowd we are happy He that made heauen hath on purpose thus framed it wide when wee are entred and glorious narrow and hard in the entrance that after our paine our glory might be sweeter And if before-hand you can climbe vp thither in your thoughts looke about you you shall see no more Palmes then crosses you shall see none crowned but those that haue wrestled with crosses and sorrowes to sweat yea to blood and haue ouercome All runnes here to the ouer comer and ouercomming implyes both fighting and successe Gird vp your loynes therefore and strengthen your weake knees resolue to fight for heauen to suffer fighting to persist in suffering so persisting you shall ouercome and ouercomming you shall be crowned Oh reward truely great aboue desert yea aboue conceit A crowne for a few groanes An eternal crowne of life and glory for a short and momentany suffering How iust is Saint Pauls account that the afflictions of this present life are not worthy of the glory which shal be shewed vnto vs O Lord let me smart that I may reigne vphold thou mee in smarting that thou mayest hold me worthy of reigning It is no matter how vile I be so I may be glorious What say you would you not be afflicted Whether had you rather mourne for a vvhile or for euer One must be chosen the election is easie Whether had you rather reioyce for one fit or alwayes You would doe both Pardon me it is a fond couetousnesse and idle singularitie to affect it What That you alone may fare better then all Gods Saints That God should strew Carpets for your nice feet onely to walke into your heauen and make that way smooth for you which all Patriarkes Prophets Euangelists Confessors Christ himselfe haue found rugged and bloodie Away with this selfe-loue and come downe you ambitious sonnes of Zebedee and ere you thinke of sitting neere the Throne be content to be called vnto the Cup. Now is your tryall Let your Sauiour see how much of his bitter potion you can pledge then shall you see how much of his glory he can afford you Be content to drinke of his vineger and gall and you shall drinke new wine with him in his Kingdome To Mr PETER MOVLIN Preacher of the Church at PARIS EP. VI. Discoursing of the late French occurrents and what vse God expects to bee made of them SInce your trauels here with vs we haue not forgotten you but since that your vvittie and learned trauels in the common affaires of Religion haue made your memorie both fresh and blessed Behold whiles your hand vvas happily busie in the defence of our King the heads and hands of traitors vvere busie in the massacring of your owne God doth no memorable and publike act which hee would not haue talked of read construed of all the world How much more of neighbors whom scarce a sea seuereth from each other how much yet more of brethren whom neither land nor sea can seuer Your dangers and feares and griefes haue beene ours All the salt water that runnes betwixt vs cannot vvash off our interest in all your common causes The deadly blow of that miscreant vvhose name is iustly sentenced to forgetfulnesse pierced euen our sides Who hath not bled within himselfe to thinke that he which had so victoriously out liued the swords of enemies should fall by the knife of a villaine and that hee should die in the peaceable streets vvhom no fields could kill that all those honorable and happy triumphs should end in so base a violence But oh our idlenesse and impietie if we see not a diuine hand from aboue striking vvith this hand of disloyaltie Sparrowes fall not to the ground vvithout him much lesse Kings One dyes by a tyle-sheard another by the splinters of a Launce one by Lice another by a Fly one by poison another by a knife What are all these but the executioners of that great God vvhich hath said Ye are Gods but ye shal die like men Perhaps God saw that we may guesse modestly at the reasons of his acts you reposed too much in this arme of flesh or perhaps he saw this scourge would haue beene too early to those enemies whose sinne though great yet was not full or perhaps hee saw that if that great spirit had beene deliberately yeelded in his bed you should not haue slept in yours Or perhaps the ancient conniuence at those streames of blood from your too common Duels was now called to reckoning or it may be that weake reuolt from the truth He whos 's the rod vvas knowes why he strooke yet may it not passe without a note that he fell by that religion to vvhich he fell How many Ages might that great Monarch haue liued vvhatsoeuer the ripe head of your more then mellow Cotton could imagine ere his least finger should haue bled by the hand of an Huguenot All religions may haue some monsters but blessed bee the God of heauen ours shall neuer yeeld that good Iesuite either a Mariana to teach treason or a Rauillac to act it But vvhat is that we heare It is no maruell That holy societie is a fit Gardian for the hearts of Kings I dare say none more loues to see them none takes more care to purchase them How happy were that Chappell thinke they if it vvere full of such shrines I hope all Christian Princes haue long and vvell learned so great is the courtesie of these good Fathers that they shall neuer by their vvils need bee troubled with the charge of their owne hearts An heart of a King in a Iesuites hand is as proper as a wafer in a Priests Iustly was it vvritten of old vnder the picture of Ignatius Loyola Cauete vobis Principes Be vvise O ye Princes and learn to be the keepers of your owne hearts Yea rather O thou keeper of Israel that neither slumbrest nor sleepest keepe thou the hearts of all Christian Kings vvhether aliue or dead from the keeping of this traiterous generation whose very religion is holy rebellion and whose merits bloody Doubtlesse that murderer hoped to haue stabbed thousands vvith that blow and to haue let out the life of religion at the side of her collapsed Patron God did at once laugh and frowne at his proiect and suffered him to liue to see himselfe no lesse a foole then a villaine O the infinite goodnesse of the wise and holy gouernour of the world Who could haue looked for such a calme in the middest of a tempest who would haue thought that violence could beget peace Who durst haue conceiued that King Henry should die alone and that Religion should lose nothing but his person This is the Lords doing and it
the ancient Minoei of whom Ierome speaketh while they vrged Circumcision by consequent according to Pauls rule reiected Christ So the Pelagians while they defended a full perfection of our righteousnes in our selues ouerthrew Christs iustification and in effect said I beleeue in Christ and in my selfe So some Vbiquitaries while they hold the possibilitie of conuersion and saluation of reprobates ouerthrow the doctrine of Gods eternall Decree and immutabilitie Poperie comes in this latter ranke and may iustly bee tearmed Heresie by direct consequent though not in their grant yet in necessarie proofe and inference Thus it ouerthrowes the truth of Christs humanitie while it holds his whole humane body locally circumscribed in heauen and at once the same instant wholly present in ten thousand places on earth without circumscription That whole Christ is in the formes of bread with all his dimensions euery part hauing his owne place and figure and yet so as that hee is wholly in euery part of the bread Our iustification while it ascribes it to our owne workes The all-sufficiencie of Christs owne sacrifice whiles they reiterate it dayly by the hands of a Priest Of his satisfaction while they hold a paiment of our vtmost farthings in a deuised Purgatory Of his mediation while they implore others to aide them not onely by their intercession but their merits suing not onely for their prayers but their gifts The value of the Scriptures whiles they hold them insufficient obscure in points essentiall to saluation and binde them to an vncertaine dependance vpon the Church Besides hundreds of this kinde there are Heresies in actions contrary to those fundamentall practices which God requires of his as prohibitions of Scriptures to the Laitie Prescriptions of deuotion in vnknowne tongues Tying the effect of Sacraments and Prayers to the externall worke Adoration of Angels Saints Bread Reliques Crosses Images All vvhich are so many recall vnderminings of the sacred foundation which is no lesse actiue then vocall By this the simplest may see what wee must hold of Papists neither as no Hereticks nor yet so palpable as the worst If any man aske for their conuiction In the simpler sort I grant this excuse faire and tolerable poore soules they cannot be any otherwise informed much lesse perswaded Whiles in truth of heart they hold the maine principles which they know doubtlesse the mercy of God may passe ouer their ignorant weaknesse in what they cannot know For the other I feare not to say that many of their errors are wilfull The light of truth hath shined out of heauen to them and they loue darknesse more then light In this state of the Church he shall speake and hope idly that shall call for a publique and vniuersall euiction How can that be when they pretend to be Iudges in their owne cause Vnlesse they will not be aduersaries to themselues or judge of vs this course is but impossible As the Diuell so Antichrist will not yeeld both shall bee subdued neither will treat of peace what remaines but that the Lord shall consume that wicked man which is now clearely reuealed with the breath of his mouth and abolish him vvith the brightnesse of his comming Euen so Lord Iesus come quickly This briefely is my conceit of Popery which I willingly referre to your cleare and deepe iudgement being not more desirous to teach the ignorant vvhat I know then to learne of you what I should teach and know not The Lord direct all our thoughts to his glory and the behoofe of his Church Written long since to Mr J. W. EP. V. Disswading from separation and shortly oppugning the grounds of that error IN my former Epistle I confesse I touched the late separation with a light hand onely setting down the iniury of it at the best not discussing the grounds in common now your danger drawes me on to this discourse it is not much lesse thanke-worthy to preuent a disease then to cure it you confesse that you doubt I mislike it not doubting is not more the way to error then to satisfaction lay downe first all pride and preiudice and I cannot feare you I neuer yet knew any man of this vvay which hath not bewraide himselfe far gone with ouer-weening and therefore it hath been iust with God to punish their selfe-loue with error an humble spirit is a fit subiect for truth prepare you your heart and let me then answer or rather God for me you doubt whether the notorious sinne of one vnreformed vncensured defile not the whole Congregation so as we may not without sinne communicate therewith and why not the whole Church woe were vs if wee should thus liue in the danger of all men haue we not sinnes enow of our owne but wee must borrow of others Each man shall beare his owne burden is ours so light that we call for more weight and vndertake what God neuer imposed It was enough for him that is God and Man to beare others iniquities it is no taske for vs which shrinke vnder the least of our owne But it is made ours you say though anothers by our toleration and conniuence indeed if we consent to them incourage them imitate or accompany them in the same excesse of ryot yet more the publique person that forbeares a knowne sinne sinneth but if each mans knowne sinne be euery mans what difference is betwixt the root and the branches Adams sinne spred it selfe to vs because we were in him stood or fell in him our case is not such Doe but see how God scorneth that vniust Prouerbe of the Iewes That the fathers haue eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge How much lesse are strangers Is any bond so neere as this of blood Shall not the child smart for the Parent and shall we euen spiritually for others You obiect Achans stealth and Israels punishment an vnlike case and extraordinary for see how direct Gods charge is Be ye ware of the execrable thing lest ye make your selues execrable and in taking of the execrable thing make also the Hoast of Israel execrable and trouble it Now euery man is made a partie by a peculiar iniunction and not onely all Israel is as one man but euery Israelite is a publike person in this act you cannot show the like in euery one no not in any it was a law for the present not intended for perpetuity you may as well challenge the Trumpets of Rams-hornes and seuen dayes walke vnto euery siege Looke else-where the Church of Thyatira suffers the woman Iezabel to teach and deceiue A great sinne Yet to you saith the Spirit the rest of Thyatira as many as haue not this learning I will put vpon you none other burden but that which you haue hold fast He saith not Leaue your Church but Hold fast your owne Looke into the practice of the Prophets ransacke their burdens and see if you find this there yea behold our best patterne the Sonne of God The Iewish
say they be vitious they are but hay and stubble which nothing appertaine to the foundation of this euerlasting frame The Church may bee either more sound or more corrupt for them It cannot be more or lesse a Church The beauty or deformity of a Church may consist in them the strength the welfare of it doth not Surely whosoeuer willingly subscribes to the Word of God signed in the euerlasting monuments of Scripture to the ancient Creeds to the foure Generall Councells to the common consent of the Fathers for six hundred yeeres after Christ which we of the reformed Church religiously professe to doe if he may erre in small points yet he cannot be an Heretick Some particular Church may easily offend by imputing heresie to an vndeserued opinion whether perhaps true or lightly erroneous but neither soule nor Church can greatly erre while it treads in the steps of the most ancient and vniuersall Must hee therefore of necessity die a Romanist that would die a Catholick This is an idle fancy and worthy of no lesse than Bedlam Giue me leaue ye Reuerend Fathers The blessed Ghost of the most holy and latest Bishop of this See interrupts my speech and charges me not to suffer his ashes so shamefully to be wronged I can neither be silent for indignation nor speake for anger It was not onely rumor'd but bookes were cast abroad ouer the world concerning the reuolt of this worthy and excellent Prelate reporting that at his death hee reconciled himselfe to the Church of Rome and with many sighes renounced the Heresies of the Church of England and at last being absolued by a Popish Priest sweetly slept in the faith of the Church of Rome Neither did his departed soule want somewhere as is reported suffrages and oblations of Massmongers in this behalfe Oh immortall God! what blasphemy is here Can impudencie it selfe so cast off all shame as to raise so slanderous a lie thus boldly against the credit of so many witnesses against the solemne detestation of their owne Priest against the religious othes of his neerest friends and domestique seruants against the Sermon and publique writings of his Learned Sonne a sonne well worthy of such a Father Other lies haue some colour to plead for their credit This besides boldnesse hath none at all How many of vs sate by that faithfull Pastor of ours then breathing toward his last and receiued from his dying lips words of most constant piety And some of you reuerend Fathers deuoutly receiued with him that sacred Vinticum the last bread that euer hee tasted euen the bread of the Lord and were witnesses of the last motions of his soule then ready to depart and breathing toward his heauen Ours he liued Ours hee died and now as ours is crowned in heauen Goe on now yea mis-zealous spirits goe on to lie stoutly somewhat will alwaies stick fast to the accusers But in the meane time It cannot be truth that needs the props of lies Onely this by the way Let the boldest Sophister of the Romish Schoole come forth now and if hee can for shame let him vndertake to proue that those most noted additions of the Tridentine Faith which onely we reiect were receiued of all the Church in all Ages for necessary heads of Religion or let him confesse as he needs must that we haue still constantly persisted in the Communion of One Holy Catholick Church and faith Hee shall easily bewray his owne nouelty but neuer shall euince any Heresie of ours It is a golden saying of Cardinall Contarenus Harken I beseech you if any ingenuous spirit of you all be a friend to Rome Non opus est concilio non syllogismis ad sedandas hasce Lutheraâ—â—â—um turbas c. There needs no Councell saith he no Syllogismes to allay these broyles of the Lutherans but onely charity humility and a sincere minde that being void of all selfe-loue we may be perswaded to correct and reforme those things wherein we haue manifestly transgressed Thus he Thou art wise indeed O Contarenus would to God thy fellowes were so also But we forsooth are the disobedient and rebellious children of our mother the Church whose commands while wee disdaine to receiue and obey and reuerence her decrees we are enwrapped in a shamefull schisme and stricken with the curses of an angry Mother Surely this were an odious contumely But for vs wee haue not acknowledg'd her a Mother a Sister wee haue But grant wee were Sons yet wee are no slaues To forge a new faith and imperiously thrust it vpon her owne is not the part of an indulgent parent but of a Tyrant This lawlesse liberty we confesse we could neuer endure and therefore are wee openly thunder-stricken with more than one Anathema Neither haue they otherwise dealt with vs than that foolish fellow in Gerson who being very busie to driue away a fly from his neighbours forehead braind the man But lament ye with me my brethren the wofull case of that Church that hath learned to fit her faith to the Times and is more impatient of a remedy than of the disease Whilst they so eagerly persecute vs let vs heartily pitty them And let vs still wish to them that which they enuie and denie to vs Saluation Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe Our prayers our teares our admonitions must not bee wanting Returne to your selues now at last oh ye Christian soules Returne from whence you haue sensibly declined Recouer your first loue your first workes Suffer not your selues any longer to be mocked with the glorious title of a Church Frame your selues to that holy Vnity which hitherto you haue so stifly resisted which oh if once we might liue to see effected you should well finde as it runs in the law of the twelue Tables that the recouered should with vs haue the same priuileges with the healthfull Behold wee are ready as our gracious and peaceable King Iames piously vndertooke to meet you halfe way But if they shall still obstinately cast off all hope of Vnity and being set on fire with the hatred of peace shall goe on to delight themselues onely in the alarum of their sacred Trumpet as they call it why should not wee religiously and entirely keepe peace among our selues I speake to all the Sonnes of the purer Church wheresoeuer dispersed we professe this Church of ours by Gods grace reformed Reformed I say not new made as some emulous spirits spightfully slander vs. For me I am ready to forke to the very ground when I heare that hedge-row reproach Where was your Religion before Luther Where was your Church Heare oh ye ignorant Heare oh ye enuious Cauillers we desired the reformation of an old Religion not the formation of a new The Church accordingly was reform'd not new wrought It remaines therefore the same Church it was before but onely purged from some superfluous and pernitions additaments of error Is it a new face that was lately washed a new
that the new man by being more wise in God may out-strip the old And how shall that be done If we would dispossesse the strong man that keepes the house our Sauiour bids vs bring in a stronger than hee and if we would ouer-reach the subtiltie of the old man yea the old Serpent bring in a wiser than he euen the Spirit of God the God of wisdome If we would haue Achitophels wicked counsels crossed set vp an Hushai within vs The foolishnesse of God is wiser than the wisdome of men Could we but settle God within vs our craftie hearts would be out of countenance and durst not offer to play any of their deluding tricks before him from whom nothing is hid and if they could be so impudently presumptuous yet they should be so soone controlled in their first motions that there would be more danger of their confusion than of our deceit As ye loue your selues therefore and your owne safetie and would be free from the perill of this secret broaker of Satan your owne hearts render them obediently into the hands of God giue him the keyes of these closets of his owne making beseech him that he will vouchsafe to dwell and reigne in them so shall we be sure that neither Satan shall deceiue them nor they deceiue vs but both we and they shall be kept safe and inuiolable and presented glorious to the appearance of our Lord Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS The Best Bargaine A SERMON PREACHED TO THE COVRT AT THEOBALDS on Sunday Sept. 21. 1623. By IOS HALL SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE WILLIAM EARLE OF PEMBROKE LORD high Chamberlaine CHANCELLOR of the Vniuersity of Oxford One of his MAIESTIES most Honourable Priuy Counsell RIGHT HONOVRABLE LEt it please you to receiue from the Presse what you vouchsafed to require from my pen Vnworthy I confesse either of the publike light or the beames of your Honours iudicious eies yet such as besides the motiue of common importunity I easily apprehended might bee not a little vsefull for the times which if euer require quickning Neither is it to no purpose that the world should see in what stile we speake to the Court not without acceptation This and what euer seruice I may bee capable of are iustly deuoted to your Lordship whom all good hearts follow with true Honour as the great Patron of learning the sincere friend of Religion and rich purchaser of Truth The God of Heauen adde to the number of such Peeres and to the measure of your Lo graces and happinesse Your Honours in all humble and faithfull obseruance IOS HALL THE BEST BARGAINE PROV 23.23 Buy the Truth and sell it not THE subiect of my Text is a Bargaine and Sale A bargaine enioyned a sale forbidden and the subiect of both bargaine and sale is Truth A bargaine able to make vs all rich a sale able to make any of vs miserable Buy the Truth and sell it not A sentence of short sound but large extent the words are but seuen syllables an easie load for our memories the matter is a world of worke a long taske for our liues And first let mee call you to this Mart which holds both now and euer If yee loue your selues bee yee customers at this shop of heauen Buy the Truth In euery bargaine there is merx and mercatura the commoditie and the match The commoditie to be bought is the Truth The match made for this commodity is Buying Buy the Truth An ill Iudge may put a good Interrogatory yet it was a question too good for the mouth of a Pilate What is Truth The schooles haue wearied themselues in the solution To what purpose should I reade a Metaphysicall Lecture to Courtiers Truth is as Time one in all yet as Time though but one is distinguished into past present future and euery thing hath a Time of it owne so is Truth variously distinguished according to the subiects wherein it is This is Anselmes cited by Aquinas I had rather say Truth is as light Send forth thy Truth and thy light saith the Psalmist which though but one in all yet there is one light of the Sunne another of the Moone another of the Starres another of this lower aire There is an essentiall and causall Truth in the Diuine vnderstanding which the schooles call Primo-primam This will not bee sold cannot be bought God will not part with it the world is not worth it This Truth is as the Light in the body of the Sunne There is an intrinsecall or formall truth in things truly existing For Being and True are conuertible and Saint Austen rightly defines Verum est illud quod est All this created Truth in things is deriued exemplarily and causally from that increated Truth of God this the schooles call Secundo-primam and it is as the light of the Sun-beames cast vpon the Moone and Starres There is an extrinsecall or secondary truth of propositions following vpon and conformable to the truth of the things expressed thus Verum is no other than Esse declaratinum as Hilario And this Truth being the thing it selfe subiectiuely in words expressiuely in the minde of man terminatiuely presupposeth a double conformitie or adequation Both of the vnderstanding to the matter conceiued and of the words to the vnderstanding so as Truth is when wee speake as wee thinke and thinke as it is And this Truth is as the light diffused from those heauenly bodies to the Region of this lower aire This is the Truth we are called to Buy But this deriuatiue and relatiue Truth whether in the minde or in the mouth hath much multiplicitie according to the matter either conceiued or vttered There is a Theologicall Truth there is a naturall there is a morall there is a ciuill all these must bee deare bought but the best at the highest rate which is Theologicall or diuine whether in the principles or necessary conclusions The principles of diuine Truth are Scriptura veritatis Dan. 10. The Law of Truth Mal. 2. The Word of Truth 2 Cor. 6. The necessary conclusions are they which vpon irrefragable inferences are deduced from those holy grounds Shortly then euery parcell of Diuine Truth whether laid downe in Scripture or drawne necessarily from Scripture is this Mercimonium sacrum which we are bidden to Buy Buy the Truth This is the commoditie The match is Buy that is Beat the price and pay it Buy it Of whom For what Of whom but of the owner of the Maker The owner It is Veritas Domini Gods Truth Psal 117. His stile is the Lord God of Truth Psal 31. The Maker The works of his hands are truth and iudgement Psal 111. And if any vsurping spirit of error shall haue made a free-bootie of Truth and shall with-hold it in
vnrighteousnesse we must redeeme it out of his hands with the highest ransome What is the price That is the maine thing in buying For Buying is no other than pactio pretij Else-where God proclaimes Hoe euery one that thirsteth come buy wine and milke without money and without price Esay 55. This is a Donation in forme of sale But here must be a price in the hand God will giue mercy and not sell it Hee will sell Truth and not giue it For what will he sell it First for Labour The Heathen Poet could say his gods sold learning for sweat The originall word here vsed is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Compara Get it any way either labore or precio yea labore vt precio This great foreman of Gods shop tells vs we cannot haue it vnder Prou. 2.4 Wee must seeke for her as siluer and search for her as for hid Treasures The veine of Truth lies low it must bee digged and delued for to the very center If Truth could be bought with ease and pleasure many a lazie Christian would bid faire for it who now resolue rather vpon want than toile The slothfull worldling will rather take vp a falshood for Truth than beat his braine to discerne Truth from falshood an error of free-cost is better than an high-rated Veritie Labour for Truth is turn'd ouer for the taske of Church-men no life sauours to these flegmaticke Spirits but that of the Lillies Neque laborant neque nent They neither labour nor spin This dull resolution is vnworthy of a Christian yea of a reasonable soule and if we should take vp no other for the body we should be fed with hunger and cloathed with nakednesse the earth should bee our fether-bed and the skie our Canopie wee should abound with want liue sauagely and die miserably It was the iust Canon of the Apostle He that labours not let him not eat Certainly he can neuer eat of the heauenly Manna of Truth that will not step forth to gather it Heare this yee delicate Courtiers that would heare a Sermon if yee could rise out of your beds that would lend God an houre if yee could spare it from your pleasures the God of heauen scornes to haue his precious Truth so basely vnder-valued if yee bid God lesse than labour for Truth I can giue you no comfort but that ye may goe to hell with ease The markets of Truth as of all other commodities varie It is the rule of Casuists Iustitia pretij non consistit in indiuiduo The Iustice of the Price doth not pitch euer vpon a point Sometimes the price of Truth hath risen it would not be bought but for danger sometimes not vnder losse not vnder disgrace not vnder imprisonment not vnder exile sometimes yet dearer not vnder paine yea sometimes it hath not gone for lesse than bloud It did cost Elias danger Michaiah disgrace Ieremie imprisonment the Disciples losse Iohn and Athanasius exile the holy Confessors paine the holy Martyrs death Euen the highest of these is pretium legitimum if God call for it how euer nature may tax it as rigorous yea such as the franke hearts of faithfull Christians haue bidden at the first word for Truth What doe yee weeping and breaking my heart For I am ready not to be bound only but to die for the name of the Lord Iesus saith S. Paul Act. 21. Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he giue for his life saith Satan but skin and life and all must a man giue for Truth and not thinke it an hard penny-worth Neither count I my life deare vnto me that I may finish my course with ioy saith the chosen vessell to his Ephesians Oh the heroicall spirits of our blessed fore-fathers that stucke not to giue their dearest heart-bloud for but some corollaries of sacred Truth whose burning zeale to Truth consumed them before those fires of Martyrdome and sent vp their pure and glorious soules like Manoahs Angell to heauen in the flame Blessed be God Blessed be his Anointed vnder whose gracious Scepter we haue enioyed daies as much more happy than theirs as their hearts were more feruent than ours We may now buy Truth at a better hand stake but our labour we carrie it with thanks I feare there want not those that would be glad to marre the market It can be onely knowne to heauen what treacheries the malice of hell may be a brewing Had but that Powder once taken nothing had beene abated of the highest price of our Predecessors we had paid for euery dram of Truth as many ounces of bloud as euer it cost the frankest Martyr should the Deuill haue beene suffered to doe his worst we might not haue grudged at this price of Truth Non est delicata in Deum secura confessio qui in me credit debet suum sanguinem fundere saith Ierome Christian profession is no secure or delicate matter he that beleeues must be no niggard of his bloud But why thus deare Not without good reason Monopolies vse to enhance the price Ye can buy Truth at no shop but one In coelo praeparata est Veritas tua Psal 89.2 Thy truth is prepared in heauen And it is a iust Rule of Law Quisque in rebus suis est moderator arbiter Euery man may rate his owne Neither is this only the sole commoditie of God but besides deare to the owner Dilexisti veritatem Thou hast loued Truth saith the Psalmist And it is a true rule in the Cases of Commerce Affectus astimari potest Our loue may be valued in the price Yea O God thy loue to Truth cannot be valued It is thy selfe thou that art Truth it selfe hast said so I am the Way the Truth and the Life We cannot therefore know how much thou louest thy Truth because as thy selfe is infinite so is thy loue to thy selfe What should we hunt for comparisons If all the earth were gold what were it when euen very heauen it selfe is trash to thee in respect of Truth No maruell if thou set it at an high rate It is not more precious to thee than beneficiall to vs. It frees vs Iohn 8.32 It renues vs Iames 1.18 It confirmes vs Prou. 12.19 It sanctifies vs Iohn 17.17 It defends vs Psal 91.4 Shortly it doth all for vs that God doth for God workes by his Almighty word and his Word is Truth Iohn 17. Therefore buy the Truth And if truth be thus precious thus beneficiall how comes it to passe that it is neglected contemned Some passe by it and doe not so much as cheapen it Others cheapen it but bid nothing Others bid something but vnder foot Others bid well but stake it not Others lastly stake downe but reuoke it The first that passe by and cheapen it not are carelesse vnbeleeuers The next that cheapen it and bid nothing are formall Christians The third that bid something but not enough are worldly semi-Christians The fourth that bid well and stake
imbrace the truth and as generaly in the publike confession so particularly vpon good occasion giue iust testimonies of their repentance This is our case wee did not make a new Church but mended an old your CLIFTON is driuen to this hold by necessitie of Argument Otherwise he sees there is no auoiding of Anabaptisme Mended saith your Doctor and yet admitted the misceline rabble of the prophane Say now that such separation were not made Let some few be holy and the more part prophane Shall the lewdnesse of some disanull Gods Couenant with others This is your mercy Gods is more who still held Israel for his when but few held his pure seruice Let that Diuine Psalmist teach you how full the Tents of Israel were of mutinous Rebels in the Desart yet the Pillar by day and night forsooke them not and Moses was so farre from reiecting them that he would not endure God should reiect them to his owne aduantage Looke into the blacke censures and bitter complaints of all the Prophets and wonder that they separated not Looke into the increased masse of corruptions in that declined Church whereof the blessed eyes of our Sauiour were witnesses and maruell at his silent and sociable incuriousnesse yea his charge of not separating Yee know not of what spirit you are Mat. 23. Now you flie to constitution as if notorious euils were more tolerable in continuance than in the collection of Assemblies Sardi had but a few names that had not defiled their garments Reuel 3.4 God praises these bids them not separate from the rest Thyatira suffers a false prophetesse the rest that haue not this learning Reuel 2.24 yet are bidden but to hold their owne not to separate from the Angell which hath not separated IEzABEL from the Church SECTION VII What separation the Church of England hath made Bar. p. 22. 55. Fr. Iohns against M. H. Act. Mon. possâ—â— YOVR charge is no lesse iniurious that the Church of England hath made no separation Concerning which you haue learned of your Martyr and ouer-seers so to speake as if before her late disclamation of poperie in Queene ELIzABETHS time she had not beene Her monuments could haue taught you better and haue lead you to her ancient Pedigree not much below the Apostolike dayes and in many descents haue shewed you not a few worthy witnesses and patrons of Truth all which with their holy and constant off-spring it might haue pleased you to haue separated from this imputation of not separating Will you know therefore how the Church of England hath separated In her first conuersion shee separated her selfe from Pagans in her continuance shee separated her selfe from grosse heretiques and sealed her separation with bloud in her reformation shee separated her selfe from wilfull Papists by her publike profession of Truth and proclaimed hatred of error and shee daily doth separate the notoriously euill by suspensions by excommunications though not so many as yours Troubl excom p. 191. M Spr. p 1. Besides the particular separations of many from the acknowledged corruptions in iudgement profession practise All these will bee auowed in spight of all contradiction with what forhead then can you say The whole Church of England hath not at all separated After all your shifts and idle tales of constitution you haue separated from this Church against the Lord not with the Lord from it If there bee Christ with vs if the Spirit of God in vs F Iun. lib. de Eccles if Assemblies if calling by the word whatsoeuer is or is not else in the Constitution there is whatsoeuer is required to the essence of a Church No corruption either in gathering or continuance can destroy the truth of being but the grace of being well If Christ haue taken away his word and spirit you haue iustly subduced else you haue gone from him in vs. And when you haue all done the Separatists Idol visible Constitution will proue but an appendance of an externall forme no part of the essence of a true Church and therefore your separation no lesse vaine than the ground than the Authors Lastly if our bountie should which it cannot grant that our collection was at first deeply faultie Ratibabitio retrahi c. Subsequens consensus Iacobi in Leam fecit eos coniuges d. 29. q. 1. S. sed obijcitur Barrow against Gyff cannot the Ratibabition as the Lawyers speake be drawne backe may not an after-allowance rectifie and confirme it In contracts your owne similitude a following consent iustifies an act done before consent and why not in the contract betwixt God and his visible Church Lo he hath confirmed it by his gratious benedictions and as much as may be in silence giuen vs abundant proofes of his acceptation That after-act which makes your Baptisme lawfull why can it not make our Church SECT VIII BVT for as much as Constitution is the very state of Brownisme Constitution of a Church Let vs I beseech you inquire a little into the complexion of your Constitution Whether Physicke or Law or Architecture haue lent you it sure I am it is in this vse Apocryphall Neuer man vsed it this scrupulously till your times Though what need you the helpe of Fathers or Schooles new words must expresse new Paradoxes It is no treason to come termes What then is Constitution Your Doctor can best tell vs As the Constitution of a Common-wealth or of a City H. Answorth Counterp p. 170. is a gathering or vniting of a people together into a ciuill Politie So saith he the Constitution of the Common-wealth of Israel and of the City of God the new Ierusalem is a gathering and vniting of people into a diuine Politie The forme of which Polity is Order which Order is requisite in all actions and Administrations of the Church as the Apostle sheweth and specially in the Constitution thereof So that next vnto faith in God it is to be esteemed most necessary for all holy societies Coloss 2.5 Hence Paul reioyced in the Colossians Order and Faith To this Constitution therefore belong a people as the matter secondly a calling or gathering together as the forme whereof the Church consisteth The Constitution of the Church of England is false in both Why so Haue we not a people Are not those people called together To preuent this you say our Constitution is false not none Why false Because those people haue neither Faith nor Order For Faith first Who are you that dare thus boldly breake into the closets of God Tertull. de Praescript Tu vt homo extrinsecus vnumquemque nosti putas quod vides vides autem quousque oculos habes sed oculi Domini sunt alti Homo in faciem Deus in praecordia contemplatur Principles and inferences concerning the visible Church Anno 1607. p. 13. the hearts of men and condemne them to want that which cannot bee seene by any but diuine eyes how dare you
ep 13. Nullo concordia glutine aut vnitatis vinculo copulari possunt and that rabble of Opinions which they haue raked together so opposed that it cannot by any glew of concord as Cyprian speaketh nor bond of vnity be conioyned That which Rome holds with vs makes it a Church That which it obtrudes vpon vs makes it hereticall The truth of principles makes it one the error and impiety of additions makes it irreconcileable Neither do 〈◊〉 this late and spurious brood of traditions more oppose vs than it doth those very Principles of Religion which the authors themselues desire to establish Looke on the face therefore of the Roman Church she is ours and Gods Looke on her back she is quite contrary Antichristian More plainly for it is no disputing in Metaphors as Clemens said well Rome doth both hold the foundation and destroy it she holds it directly destroies it by consequent In that she holds it she is a true Church howsoeuer imputed In that she destroyes it what-euer semblance shee makes of piety and holinesse she is a Church of malignants Psal 26.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If shee did altogether hold it she should be sound and Orthodox If altogether she destroyed it she should be either no Church or deuillish but now that she professes to hold those things directly which by inference of her consequences shee closely ouerthrowes she is a truly visible Church but an vnsound In what shee holds the principles we embrace her in what she destroyes them we pitty her error and hate her obstinate The common bond of Christianitie neuer ties vs to fauour grosse errors so much as with silence there is no such slauerie in the deare name of a sister that it should binde vs to giue either aid Eph. 5.11 or countenance to lewdnesse Haue no such fellowship saith S. Paul but rather reproue So wee haue done both modestly and earnestly The same is befalne vs which befell the blessed Apostle we are become their enemies for telling the truth Gal. 4.16 Behold now we are thrust out of doore spet vpon rayled at and when opportunitie serues persecuted with most curious torments And lest any mischiefe should be wanting obstinacie is now at last added vnto error and a cruel rage arising from impatience and now their wickednesse began to please them the more because it displeased vs. And what should we now doe in such a case wee the despised and reiected Patrons of this spirituall chastitie To let fall so iust a cause wee might not vnlesse wee would cast off that God who challenges this plea for onely his To yeeld and giue in were no other than to betray the truth of God and damne our owne soules No course remaines but this one and here is our onely safety with all our courage and skill to oppose the wicked Paradoxes and Idolatrous practises of the Romish Church till either she be ashamed of her selfe or repent that euer she was SECT II. The Commodities and Conditions of Peace BEAVTIFVLL is the name of Peace as Hilary speaketh and truly sacred Hilar. cit a Cal. de vera pacific Iudic. 6.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Sam 18.29 Iud. 19.29 1 Chr. 12.18 Luc. 2.14 Ioh. 14.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 13.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iam. 3.18 Rom. 14 19. 1 Pet. 3.11 and such as scarce sauoureth of the earth Neither did the Hebrewes by any other terme choose rather to expresse all happinesse and perfection of liuing Neither is there any thing which the Angels did more gladly congratulate vnto men or which Christ did more carefully bequeath or the Apostles more earnestly enioyne How oft and how vehemently doth the Spirit intreat and command vs to haue peace But this thou sayest is euery mans wish to haue peace but what if peace will not be had Loe then Saint Iames charges vs to make peace by our endeuours by our patience Once made and had what if it will not stay with vs Then Saint Paul bids to follow those things which concerne peace What if it will needs away and hide it selfe yet then Saint Peter commands to follow and inquire after it What if once found it refuse to come as Abrahams seruant presupposed of Rebecca Euen then study to be quiet saith Saint Paul or as the word implies Be ambitious of Peace 1 Thes 4.11 So let the Author of Peace loue vs as we loue Peace Socr. l. 1. c. 4. Socr. l. 3. c. 21. Who is there that would not rather wish with Constantine quiet daies and nights free from care and vexation It was a speech worthy of an Emperour and a Christian that fell from Iouianus about that querelous libell of the Macedonians I hate contention and those that are inclined to concord I loue and reuerence Our aduersaries would make vs beleeue they professe and desire no lesse with an equall zeale of charitie and agreement God bee Iudge betwixt vs both and whethersoeuer persists to hate peace let him perish from the face of God and his holy Angels Yea that this imprecation may be needlesse he is already perished Cypr. de simplic prae l. Ad Pacis praemium venâ—re non possunt qui pacem Dâ—mini discordiae furore ruperunt In Psal 28. For as Cyprian according to his wont grauely they cannot come to the reward of Peace which haue broken the Peace of God with the fury of discord And surely what but the flames of hell can determine the ambition of these fiery and boyling spirits Basil obserues well that Gods fire gaue light and burned not contrarily the fire of hell burneth without light and therefore is well worthy of those who despising the light of truth delight themselues in the flames of contentions Those are the true haters of Peace which doe wilfully patronize errors contrary to the Christian faith So long as wee must dwell by these tents of Kedar wee shall too iustly complaine with the Psalmist Psal 120. I loue Peace but in the meane while they are bent to Warre And as for vs which professe our selues the ingenuous clients of Peace since wee must needs fight it is not for vs to doe nothing For that blessed Quire of Angels before their Peace vpon earth Luc. 2.14 Iam. 3.17 well sung Glory to God in the highest Heauens and Saint Iames describes the wisdome of God to bee first pure then peaceable And that chosen vessell implies no lesse when to his charge of Peace hee addes If it bee possible 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.18 That is as impossible to euery good man which ought not to be done as that which cannot bee done neither indeed as the rule of Lawyers runnes can we be said to be able to doe that which we cannot honestly doe God saith S. Paul is not the Author of confusion but of Peace It is a wicked peace it is no peace that necessarily breeds confusion That Peace is worthy of a
that Story whereon the faith and saluation of all the World dependeth Wee cannot so much as doubt of this truth and bee saued no not the number of the moneth not the name of the Angell is concealed Euery particle imports not more certainty than excellence The time is the sixth moneth after Iohns Conception the prime of the Spring Christ was conceiued in the Spring borne in the Solstice Hee in whom the World receiued a new life receiues life in the same season wherein the World receiued his first life from him and hee which stretches out the dayes of his Church and lengthens them to Eternitie appeares after all the short and dimme light of the Law and inlightens the World with his glory The Messenger is an Angell A man was too meane to carry the newes of the Conception of God Neuer any businesse was conceiued in Heauen that did so much concerne the earth as the Conception of the God of Heauen in Wombe of earth No lesse than an Arch-Angell was worthy to beare this tydings and neuer any Angell receiued a greater honour than of this Embassage It was fit our reparation should answer our fall an euill Angell was the first motioner of the one to Eue a Virgin then espoused to Adam in the Garden of Eden A good Angel is the first reporter of the other to Mary a Virgin espoused to Ioseph in that place which as the Garden of Galile had a name from flourishing No good Angel could be the Author of our restauration as that euill Angell was of our ruine But that which those glorious spirits could not doe themselues they are glad to report as done by the God of Spirits Good newes reioyces the bearer With what ioy did this holy Angell bring the newes of that Sauiour in whom wee are redeemed to life himselfe established in life and glory The first Preacher of the Gospell was an Angell that office must needs be glorious that deriues it selfe from such a Predecessor God appointed his Angell to be the first Preacher and hath since called his Preachers Angels The message is well suited An Angell comes to a Virgin Gabriel to Mary He that was by signification the strength of God to her that was by signification exalted by God to the conceiuing of him that was the God of strength To a Maid but espoused a Maid for the honour of Virginitie espoused for the honour of Marriage The marriage was in a sort made not consummate through the instinct of him that meant to make her not an example but a miracle of women In this whole worke God would haue nothing ordinary It was fit that she should be a marryed Virgin which should bee a Virgin-mother Hee that meant to take mans nature without mans corruption would bee the Sonne of man without mans seed would bee the seed of the woman without man and amongst all women of a pure Virgin but amongst Virgins of one espoused that there might be at once a Witnesse and a Guardian of her fruitfull Virginity If the same God had not bin the author of Virginity and Marriage he had neuer countenanced Virginity by Marriage Whither doth this glorious Angell come to finde the Mother of him that was God but to obscure Galile A part which euen the Iewes themselues despised as forsaken of their priuiledges Out of Galile ariseth no Prophet Behold an Angell comes to that Galile out of which no Prophet comes and the God of Prophets and Angels descends to bee conceiued in that Galile out of which no Prophet ariseth He that filleth all places makes no difference of places It is the person which giues honour and priuiledge to the place not the place to the person as the presence of God makes the Heauen the Heauen doth not make the honour glorious No blind corner of Nazareth can hide the blessed Virgin from the Angell The fauours of God will finde out his children wheresoeuer they are with-drawne It is the fashion of God to seeke out the most despised on whom to bestow his honours we cannot runne away as from the iudgements so not from the mercies of our God The cottages of Galile are preferred by God to the famous Palaces of Ierusalem he cares not how homely he conuerse with his owne Why should we be transported with the outward glory of places whiles our God regards it not We are not of the Angels diet if we had not rather be with the blessed Virgin at Nazareth than with the proud Dames in the Court of Ierusalem It is a great vanitie to respect any thing aboue goodnesse and to dis-esteeme goodnesse for any want The Angell salutes the Virgin he prayes not to her Hee salutes her as a Saint he prayes not to her as a Goddesse For vs to salute her as he did were grosse presumption For neither are we as he was neither is she as she was If he that was a spirit saluted her that was flesh and bloud here on earth it is not for vs that are flesh and bloud to salute her which is a glorious spirâ—t in Heauen For vs to pray to her in the Angels salutation were to abuse the Virgin the Angell the Salutation But how gladly doe we second the Angell in the praise of her which was more ours than his How iustly doe we blesse her whom the Angell pronounceth blessed How worthily is she honoured of men whom the Angell proclaimeth beloued of God O blessed Mary hee cannot blesse thee he cannot honour thee too much that deifies thee not That which the Angell said of thee thou hast prophesied of thy selfe we beleeue the Angell and thee All Generations shall call thee blessed by the fruit of whose wombe all Generations are blessed If Zachary were amazed with the sight of this Angell much more the Virgin That very Sex hath more disaduantage of feare if it had bin but a man that had come to her in that secrecie and suddennesse she could not but haue bin troubled how much more when the shining glory of the person doubled the astonishment The troubles of holy mindes end euer in comfort Ioy was the errand of the Angell and not terrour Feare as all passions disquiets the heart and makes it for the time vnfit to receiue the messages of God Soone hath the Angell cleared these rroublesome mists of passions and sent out the beames of heauenly consolation in the remotest corner of her soule by the glad newes of her Sauiour How can ioy but enter into her heart out of whose wombe shall come saluation What roome can feare finde in that brest that is assured of fauour Feare not MARY for thou hast found fauour with God Let those feare who know they are in displeasure or know not they are gracious Thine happy estate cals for confidence and that confidence for ioy What should what can they feare who are fauoured of him at whom the Deuils tremble Not the presence of the good Angels but the temptations of the euill
perceiuing more than Art or nature in this draught he falles downe at the knees of Iesus saying Lord goe from me for I am a sinfull man Himselfe is caught in this Net Hee doth not greedily fall vpon so vnexspected profitable a bootie but he turnes his eyes from the draught to himselfe from the act to the Author acknowledging vilenesse in the one in the other Maiestie Goe from me Lord for I am a sinfull man It had beene pitie the honest Fisher-man should haue beene taken at his Word Oh Simon thy Sauiour is come into thine owne ship to call thee to call others by thee vnto blessednesse and doest thou say Lord goe from me As if the patient should say to the Physician Depart from me for I am sicke It was the voice of astonishment not of dislike the voice of humilitie not of discontentment yea because thou art a sinfull man therefore hath thy Sauiour need to come to thee to stay with thee and because thou art humble in the acknowledgement of thy sinfulnesse therefore Christ delights to abide with thee and will call thee to abide with him No man euer fared the worse for abasing himselfe to his God Christ hath left many a soule for froward and vnkind vsage neuer any for the disparagement of it self and intreaties of humilitie Simon could not deuise how to hold Christ faster than by thus suing to him to be gone than by thus pleading his vnworthinesse O my soule be not weary of complaining of thine owne wretchednesse disgrace thy selfe to him that knowes thy vilenesse be astonished at those mercies which haue shamed thine ill deseruings Thy Sauiour hath no power to goe away from a prostrate heart Hee that resists the proud heartens the lowly Feare not for I will make thee hence-forth a Fisher of men Loe this Humilitie is rewarded with an Appstleship What had the Earth euer more glorious than a Legacy from Heauen Hee that bade Christ goe from him shall haue the honour to goe fastâ— this happy errand This was a Trade that Simon had no skill of it could not but be enough to him That Christ said I will make thee the miracle shewed him able to make good his word hee that hath power to command the Fishes to be taken can easily enable the hands to take them What is this diuine Trade of ours then but a spirituall Piscation The World is a Sea Soules like Fishes swim at liberty in this Deepe the Nets of wholsome Doctrine draw vp some to the shore of Grace and Glory How much skill and toyle and patience is requisite in this Art Who is sufficient for these things This Sea these Nets the Fishers the Fish the Vessels are all thine O God doe what thou wilt in vs and by vs Giue vs ability and grace to take giue men will and grace to be taken and take thou glory by that which thou hast giuen The marriage in Cana. WAs this then thy first miracle O Sauiour that thou wroughts in Cana of Galile And could there bee a greater miracle than this that hauing beene thirtie yeares vpon earth thou didst no miracle till now That thy diuinitie did hide it selfe thus long in flesh that so long thou wouldest lye obscure in a corner of Galile vnknowne to that world thou camest to redeeme That so long thou wouldest straine the patient expectation of those who euer since thy Starre waited vpon the reuelation of a Messias We silly wretches if we haue but a dram of vertue are ready to set it out to the best shew thou who receiuedst not the Spirit by measure wouldst content thy selfe with a willing obscuritie and concealedst that power that made the world in the roofe of an humane brest in a cottage of Nazareth O Sauiour none of thy miracles is more worthy of astonishment than thy not doing of miracles What thou didst in priuate thy wisedome thought fit for secrecy but if thy blessed Mother had not beene acquainted with some domesticall wonders shee had not now expected a miracle abroad The Starres are not seene by day the Sunne it selfe is not seene by night As it is no small art to hide Art so is it no small glorie to conceale glorie Thy first publique miracle graceth a marriage It is an ancient and laudable institution that the Rights of matrimony should not want a solemne celebration When are feasts in season if not at the recouery of our lost ribbe If not at this mayne change of our estate wherein the ioy of obtayning meets with the hope of further comforts The Sonne of the Virgin and the Mother of that Sonne are both at a wedding It was in all likelihood some of their kindred to whose nuptiall feast they were inuited so farre yet was it more the honour of the act than of the person that Christ intended He that made the first marriage in Paradise bestowes his first miracle vpon a Galilean marriage Hee that was the Author of matrimonie and sanctified it doth by his holy presence honest the resemblance of his eternall vnion with his Church How boldly may we spit in the faces of all the impure aduersaries of wedlocke when the Sonne of God pleases to honour it The glorious Bride-groome of the Church knew well how ready men would be to place shame euen in the most lawfull coniunctions and therefore his first worke shall be to countenance his owne Ordinance Happy is that wedding where Christ is a guest O Sauiour those that marry in thee cannot marry without thee There is no holy Marriage whereat thou art not how euer inuisible yet truely present by thy Spirit by thy gracious benediction Thou makest marriages in heauen thou blessest them from heauen Oh thou that hast betrothed vs to thy selfe in Truth and Righteousnesse doe thou consummate that happy marriage of ours in the highest heauens It was no rich or sumptuous Bridall to which Christ with his mother and Disciples vouchsafed to come from the further parts of Galile I finde him not at the magnificent feasts or triumphs of the Great the proud pompe of the World did not agree with the state of a seruant This poore needy Bride-groome wants drinke for his guests The blessed Virgin though a stranger to the house out of a charitable compassion and a friendly desire to maintaine the decencie of an Hospitall entertaynment inquires into the wants of her Host pitties them bemones them where there was power of redresse When the wine failed the mother of Iesus said vnto him They haue no wine How well doth it beseeme the eyes of pietie and Christian loue to looke into the necessities of others Shee that conceiued the God of mercies both in her heart and in her wombe doth not fixe her eyes vpon her owne trencher but searcheth into the penurie of a poore Israelite and feeles those wants whereof he complaines not They are made for themselues whose thoughts are are onely taken vp with their owne store or indigence There
sinnes to informe our brethren How rife is this Dumbe Deuill euerywhere whiles hee stops the mouthes of Christians from these vsefull and necessarie duties For what end hath man those two priuiledges aboue his fellow creatures Reason and Speech but that as by the one he may conceiue of the great workes of his Maker which the rest cannot so by the other hee may expresse what hee conceiues to the honor of the Creator both of them and himselfe And why are all other creatures said to praise God and bidden to praise him but because they doe it by the apprehension by the expression of man If the heauens declare the glory of God how doe they it but to the eies and by the tongue of that man for whom they were made It is no small honor whereof the enuious spirit shall rob his Maker if he 〈◊〉 close vp the mouth of his onely rationall and vocall creature and turne the best of his workemanship into a dumbe Idoll that hath a mouth and speakes not Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Praise is not more necessary then complaint praise of God then complaint of ourselues whether to God or men The onely amends we can make to God what we haue not had the grace to auoid sinne is to confesse the sinne wee haue not auoided This is the sponge that wipes out all the blots and blurs of our liues If wee confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sins and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse That cunning man-slayer knowes there is no way to purge the sicke soule but vpward by casting out the vicious humor wherewith it is clogged and therefore holds the lips close that the heart may not dis-burden it selfe by so wholesome euacuation When I kept silence my bones consumed For day and night thy band O Lord was heauy vpon me my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer O let me confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto thee that thou maist forgiue the punishment of my sinne We haue a tongue for God when wee praise him for our selues when wee pray and confesse for our brethren when we speake the truth for their information which if we hold backe in vnrighteousnesse we yeeld vnto that dumbe Deuill where doe we not see that accursed spirit Hee is on the Bench when the mute or partiall Iudge speakes not for truth and innocence He is in the pulpit when the Prophets of God smother or halue or adulterate the message of their master Hee is at the barre when irreligious Iurors dare lend an oath to feare to hope to gaine Hee is in the market when godlesse chapmen for their peny sell the truth and their soule He is in the common conuersation of men when the tongue belies the heart flatters the guilty balketh reproofes euen in the foulest crimes O thou who only art stronger then that strong one cast him out of the hearts and mouthes of men It is time for thee Lord to worke for they haue destroyed thy Law That it might well appeare this impediment was not naturall so soone as the man is freed from the spirit his tongue is free to his speech The effects of spirits as they are wrought so they cease at once If the Sonne of God doe but remoue our spirituall possession we shall presently breake forth into the praise of God into the confession of our vilenesse into the profession of truth But what strange variety do I see in the spectators of this miracle some wondring others censuring a third sort tempting a fourth applauding There was neuer man or action but was subiect to variety of constructions What man could bee so holy as he that was God What act could bee more worthy then the dispossession of an euill spirit yet this man this act passeth these differences of interpretation What can we doe to vndergoe but one opinion If we giue almes and fast some will magnifie our charity and deuotion others will taxe our hypocrisie If wee giue not some will condemne our hard-heartednesse others will allow our care of iustice if wee preach plainly to some it will sauour of a carelesse slubbering to others of a mortified sincerity Elaborately some will tax our affectation others will applaud our diligence in dressing the delicate viands of God What maruell is it if it bee thus with our imperfection when it fared not otherwise with him that was purity and righteousnesse it selfe The austere fore-runner of Christ came neither eating nor drinking they say He hath a Deuill The sonne of man came eating and drinking they say This man is a glutton a friend of Publicans and sinners and here one of his holy acts caries away at once wonder censure doubt celebration There is no way safe for a man but to square his actions by the right rule of iustice of charitie and then let the world haue leaue to spend their glosses at pleasure It was an heroicall resolution of the chosen vessell I passe very little to be iudged of you or of mans day I maruell not if the people maruelled for here were foure wonders in one The blinde saw the deafe heard the dumbe spake the demoniacke is deliuered Wonder was due to so rare and powerfull a worke and if not this nothing We can cast away admiration vpon the poore deuices or actiuities of men how much more vpon the extraordinary workes of omnipotency Who so knowes the frame of Heauen and earth shall not much be affected with the imperfect effects of fraile humanity but shall with no lesse rauishment of soule acknowledge the miraculous workes of the same Almighty hand Neither is the spirituall eiection worthy of any meaner intertainment Raritie and difficultie are wont to cause wonder There are many things which haue wonder in their worth and leese it in their frequence there are some which haue it in their strangenesse and leese it in their facilitie Both meet in this To see men haunted yea possessed with a dumbe Deuill is so frequent that it is a iust wonder to finde a man free but to finde the dumbe spirit cast out of a man and to heare him praising God confessing his sinnes teaching others the sweet experiments of mercy deserues iust admiration If the Cynick sought in the market for a man amongst men well may we seeke amongst men for a conuert Neither is the difficulty lesse then the rarenesse The strong man hath the possession all passages are blockt vp all helpes barred by the trechery of our nature If any soule be rescued from these spirituall wickednesses it is the praise of him that doth wonders alone But whom doe I see wondring The multiude The vnlearned beholders follow that act with wonder which the learned Scribes entertaine with obloquy God hath reuealed those things to babes which he hath hid from the wise and prudent With what scorne did those great Rabbins speake of these sonnes of the earth This
people that knowes not the Law is accursed Yet the mercie of God makes an aduantage of their simplicity in that they are therefore lesse subiect to cauillation and incredulitie as contrarily his iustice causes the proud knowledge of the other to lie as a blocke in their way to the ready assent vnto the diuine power of the Messias Let the pride of glorious aduersaries disdaine the pouerty of the clients of the Gospell it shall not repent vs to goe to heauen with the vulgar whiles their great ones goe in state to perdition The multitude wondered Who censured but Scribes great Doctors of the Law of the diuinity of the Iewes What Scribes but those of Ierusalem the most eminent Academie of Iudea These were the men who out of their deepe reputed iudgment cast these foule aspersions vpon Christ Great wits oft-times mis-lead both the owners and followers How many shall once wish they had beene borne dullards yea idiots when they shal find their wit to haue barred them out of heauen Where is the Scribe where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made the wisdome of the world foolishnesse Say the world what it will a dram of holinesse is worth a pound of wit Let others censure with the Scribes let me wonder with the multitude What could malice say worse Hee casteth out Deuills through Beelzebub the Prince of Deuils The Iewes well knew that the Gods of the heathen were no other then Deuills Amongst whom for that the Lord of Flies so called whether for the concourse of flies to the abundance of his sacrifices or for his ayde implored against the infestation of those swarmes was held the chiefe therefore they stile him The Prince of Deuills There is a subordination of spirits some hier in degree some inferiour to others Our Sauiour himselfe tells vs of the Deuill and his Angels Messengers are inferiour to those that send them The seuen Deuills that entered into the swept and garnished house were worse then the former Neither can Principalities and Powers and Gouernours and Princes of the darkenesse of this World designe other then seuerall rankes of euill Angels There can be no beeing without some kinde of order there can bee no order in paritie If wee looke vp into heauen there is The King of Gods The Lord of Lords hier then the hiest If to the earth There are Monarchs Kings Princes Peeres people If wee looke downe to hell There is the Prince of Deuills They labour for confusion that call for parity What should the Church doe with such a forme as is not exemplified in heauen in earth in hell One deuill according to their supposition may be vsed to cast out another How far the command of one spirit ouer another may extend it is a sector of internall state too deepe for the inquiry of men The thing it selfe is apparent vpon compact and precontracted composition one giues way to other for the common aduantage As we see in the Common-wealth of Cheaters and Gut-purses one doth the fact another is seed to bring it out and to procure restitution both are of the trade both conspire to the fraud the actor falls not out with the reuealer but diuides with him that cunning spoile One malicious miscreant sets the Deuill on worke to the inflicting of disease or death another vpon agreement for a further spirituall gaine takes him off There is a Deuill in both And if there seeme more bodily fauour there is no lesse spirituall danger in the latter In the one Satan wins the agent the suitor in the other It will bee no cause of discord in hell that one deuill giues ease to the body which another tormented that both may triumph in the gaine of a soule O God that any creature which beares thine Image should not abhorre to bee beholden to the powers of hell for aid for aduice Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that men goe to inquire of the God of Ekron Can men bee so sottish to thinke that the vowed enemie of their soules can offer them a bait without an hooke What euill is there in the City which the Lord hath not done what is there which he cannot as easily redresse He wounds he heales againe And if he will not it is the Lord let him doe what seemes good in his eies If he doe not deliuer vs he will crowne our faithfulnesse in a patient perseuerance The wounds of a God no better then the salues of Satan Was it possible that the wit of Enuy could deuise so hie a slander Beelzebub was a God of the heathen therefore herein they accuse him for an Idolater Beelzebub was a Deuill to the Iewes therefore they accuse him for a coniurer Beelzebub was the chiefe of Deuils therefore they accuse him for an Archexorcist for the worst kind of Magician Some professors of this blacke Art though their worke be deuillish yet they pretend to doe it in the name of Iesus and will presumptuously seeme to do that by command which is secretly transacted by agreement the Scribes accuse Christ of a direct compact with the Deuill and suppose both a league and familiarity which by the law of Moses in the very hand of Saul was no other then deadly Yea so deepe doth this wound reach that our Sauiour searching it to the bottome findes no lesse in it then the sinne against the Holy Ghost inferring hereupon that dreadfull sentence of the irremissiblenesse of that sinne vnto death And if this horrible crimination were cast vpon thee O Sauiour in whom the Prince of this world found nothing what wonder is it if wee thy sinfull seruants bee branded on all sides with euill tongues Yea which is yet more how plaine is it that these men forced their tongue to speake this slander against their owne heart Else this blasphemie had beene onely against the sonne of man not against the holy Ghost but now that the searcher of hearts finds it to bee no lesse then against the blessed Spirit of God the spight must needs be obstinate their malice doth wilfully crosse their conscience Enuie neuer regards how true but how mischieuous So it may gall or kill it cares little whether with truth or falshood For vs Blessed are we when men reuile vs and say all manner of euill of vs for the name of Christ For them What reward shall be giuen to thee thou false tongue Euen sharpe arrowes with hot burning coles Yea those very coles of hell from which thou wert enkindled There was yet a third sort that went a mid way betwixt wonder and censure These were not so malicious as to impute the miracle to a Satanicall operation they confesse it good but not enough and therefore vrge Christ to a further proofe Though thou hast cast out this dumbe Deuill yet this is no sufficient argument of thy diuine power We haue yet seene nothing from thee like those ancient miracles of the times of our
though grieuous yet might be remote therefore for a present hansell of vengeance she is dismissed with the sad tidings of the death of her sonne When thy feet enter into the Citie the child shall dye It is heauy newes for a mother that shee must leese her sonne but worse yet that shee may not see him In these cases of our finall departures our presence giues some mitigation to our griefe might shee but haue closed the eyes and haue receiued the last breath of her dying sonne the losse had bin more tolerable I know not how our personall farewell eases our heart euen whiles it increases our passion but now she shall no more see nor bee seene of her Abijah She shall no sooner be in the City then hee shall bee out of the world Yet more to perfect her sorrow shee heares that in him alone there is found some good the rest of her issue are gracelesse she must leese the good and hold the gracelesse he shall die to afflict her they shall liue to afflict her Yet what a mixture is here of seueritie and fauour in one act fauour to the sonne seueritie to the father Seueritie to the father that hee must leese such a sonne fauour to the sonne that he shall be taken from such a father Ieroboam is wicked and therefore he shall not enioy an Abijah Abijah hath some good things therefore hee shall be remoued from the danger of the deprauation of Ieroboam Sometimes God strikes in fauour but more often forbeares out of seueritie The best are fittest for heauen the earth is fittest for the worst this is the region of sinne and misery that of immortalitie It is no argument of dis-fauour to be taken early from a well-led life as not of approbation to age in sinne As the soule of Abijah is fauoured in the remouall so is his body with a buriall he shall haue alone both teares and tombe all the rest of his brethren shall haue no graue but dogs and fowles no sorrow but for their life Though the carkasse be insensible of any position yet honest Sepulture is a blessing It is fit the body should bee duely respected on earth whose soule is glorious in heauen ASA THe two houses of Iuda and Israel grow vp now together in an ambitious riuality this splitted plant branches out so seuerally as if it had forgotten that euer it was ioyned in the root The throne of Dauid oft changeth the possessors and more complaineth of their iniquity then their remoue Abijam inherits the sins of his father Rehoboam no lesse then his Crowne and so spends his three yeares as if had been no whit of kinne to his grandfathers vertues It is no newes that grace is not traduced whiles vice is Therefore is his reigne short because it was wicked It was a sad case when both the Kings of Iudah and Israel though enemies yet conspired in sinne Rehoboam like his father Salomon began graciously but fell to Idolatry as he followed his father so his sonne so his people followed him Oh what a face of a Church was here when Israel worshipped Ieroboams calues when Iudah built them high places and Images and groues on euery high Hill and vnder euery greene tree On both hands GOD is forsaken his Temple neglected his worship adulterate and this not for some short brunt but during the succession of two Kings For after the first three yeares Rehoboam changed his fathers Religion as his shields from gold to brasse the rest of his seuenteene yeares were ledde in impietie His sonne Abijam trod in the same mierie steps and Iudah with them both If there were any doubtlesse there were some faithfull hearts yet remaining in both Kingdomes during these heauy times what a corrosiue it must needs haue been to them to see so deplored and miserable a deprauation There was no visible Church vpon earth but here and this what a one Oh God how low doest thou sometimes suffer thine owne flocke to bee driuen What wofull wanes and eclipses hast thou ordained for this heauenly body Yet at last an Asa shall arise from the loynes from the graue of Abijam hee shall reâ—iue Dauid and reforme Iudah The gloomie times of corruption shall not last alwayes The light of truth and peace shall at length breake out and blesse the sad hearts of the righteous It is a wonder how Asa should bee good of the seed of Abijam of the soyle of Maachah both wicked both Idolatrous God would haue vs see that grace is from heauen neither needes the helps of these earthly conueyances Should not the children of good parents sometimes be euill and the children of euill parents good vertue would seeme naturall and the giuer would leese his thankes Thus we haue seene a faire flower spring out of dung and a well-fruited tree rise out of a fowre stocke Education hath no lesse power to corrupt then nature It is therefore the iust praise of Asa that being trained vp vnder an Idolatrous Maachah he maintained his piety As contrarily it is a shame for those that haue beene bred vp in the precepts and examples of vertue and godlinesse to fall off to lewnesse or superstition There are foure principall monuments of Asaes vertue as so many rich stones in his Diadem He tooke away Sodomie and Idols out of Iudah Who cannot wonder more that he found them there then that he remoued them What a strange incongruity is this Sodom in Ierusalem Idols in Iudah Surely debauched profession proues desperate Admit the Idols ye cannot doubt of the Sodomy If they haue changed the glory of the vncorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible man and to birds and foure-footed beasts and creeping things it is no maruell if God giue them vp to vncleannesse through the lusts of their owne hearts to dishonour their own bodies betweene themselues If they changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and serued the creature more then the Creator who is blessed for euer no maruell if God giue them to vile affections to change the naturall vse into that which is against nature burning in lust one towards another men with men working that which is vnseemely Contrarily admit the Sodomy yee cannot doubt of the Idols Vnnaturall beastlinesse in manners is punished iustly with a sottish dotage in religion bodily pollution with spirituall How should the soule care to bee chaste that keepes a stewes in the body Asa begins with the banishment of both scouring Iudah of this double vncleannesse In vaine should he haue hoped to restore God to his Kingdome whiles these abominations inhabited it It is iustly the maine care of worthy and religious Princes to cleare their Coasts of the foulest sinnes Oh the vnpartiall zeale of Asa There were Idols that challenged a prerogatiue of fauour the Idols that his father had made all these he defaces the name of a father cannot protect an Idoll The duty to his Parent cannot winne him
preponderate light falshood in a thousand Euen King Ahab as bad as hee was kept tale of his Prophets and could giue account of one that was missing There is yet one man Michaiah the sonne of Iudah by whom we may inquire of the Lord but I hate him for hee doth not prophecy good concerning me but euill It is very probable that Michaiah was that disguised Prophet who brought to Ahab the fearefull message of displeasure and death for dismissing Benhadad for which he was euer since fast in prison deepe in disgrace Oh corrupt heart of selfe condemned Ahab If Micaiah spake true to thee how was it euill If others said false how was it good and if Micaiah spake from the Lord why dost thou hate him This hath wont to bee the ancient lot of Truth censure and hatred Censure of the message hatred of the bearer To carnall eares the message is euill if vnpleasing and if plausible good If it be sweet it cannot be poison if bitter it cannot be wholsome The distemper of the receiuer is guilty of this mis-conceit In it selfe euery truth as it is good so amiable euery falshood loathsome as euill A sicke palate cries out of the taste of those liquors which are well allowed of the heathfull It is a signe of a good state of the soule when euery verdure can receiue his proper iudgement Wise and good Iehosaphat disswades Ahab from so hard an opinion and sees cause so much more to vrge the consultation of Michaiah by how much hee findes him more vnpleasing The King of Israel to satisfie the importunitie of so great and deare an allie sends an Officer for Michaiah He knew well belike where to finde him within those foure walls where vniust cruelty had disposed of that innocent Seer Out of the obscuritie of the prison is the poore Prophet fetcht in the light of so glorious a Confession of two Kings who thought this Conuocation of Prophets not vnworthy of their greatest representation of State ad Maiestie There he finds Zedekiah the leader of that false crue not speaking only but acting his prediction Signes were no lesse vsed by the Prophets then words this arch-flatterer hath made him bornes of iron the horne is forceable the iron irresistible by an irresistible force shall Ahab push the Syrians as if there were more certaintie in this mans hands then in his tongue If this son of Chenaanah had not had a forehead of brasse for impudency and a heart of Lead for flexiblenesse to humors and times he had neuer deuised these horns of iron wherewith his King was goared vnto blood Howsoeuer it is enough for him that he is beleeued that he is seconded All the great Inquest of these Prophets gaue vp their verdict by this foreman not one of foure hundred dissented Vnanimitie of opinion in the greatest Ecclesiasticall assemblies is not euer an argument of truth There may be as common and as firme agreement in error The messenger that came from Michaiah like a carnall friend sets him in a way of fauour tels him what the rest said how they pleased how vnsafe it would bee for him to varie how beneficiall to assent Those that adore earthly greatnesse thinke euery man should dote vpon their Idols and hold no termes too high their ambitious purchases Faithfull Micaiah scornes the motion he knows the price of the word and contemnes it As the Lord liueth what the Lord saith vnto me that will I speake Neither feares nor fauours can tempt the holily resolute They can trample vpon dangers or honors with a carelesse foot and whether they be smiled or frowned on by the great dare not either alter or conceale their errand The question is moued to Micaiah He at first so yeelds that he contradicts yeelds in words contradicts in pronunciation The syllables are for them the sound against them Ironies deny strongest in affirming and now being pressed home he tels them that God had shewed him those sheepe of Israel should ere long by this meanes want their Shepheard The very resemblance to a good Prince had beene affectiue The sheepe is an helplesse creature not able either to guard or guide it selfe all the safety all the direction of it is from the keeper without vvhom euery curre chases and werries it euery tracke seduceth it Such shall Israel soone bee if Ahab bee ruled by his Prophets The King of Israel doth not beleeue but quarrell not at himselfe who had deserued euill but at the Prophet who foresignified it and is more carefull that the King of Iuda should marke how true he had fore-told concerning the Prophet then how the Prophet had fore-told concerning him Bold Micaiah as no whit discouraged with the vniust checks of greatnesse doubles his prediction and by a second vision particularizeth the meanes of this dangerous errour Whiles the two Kings sate maiestically in their Thrones hee tels them of a more glorious Throne then theirs whereon he saw the King of Gods sitting Whiles they were compassed with some hundreds of Prophets thousands of Subiects and Souldiers he tels them of all the host of heauen attending that other Throne Whiles they were deliberating of a war he tels them of a God of heauen iustly decreeing the iudgement of a deadly deception to Ahab This decree of the highest is not more plainly reuealed then expressed parabolically The wise and holy God is represented after the manner of men consulting of that ruine which hee intended to the wicked King of Israel That increated and infinite wisdome needs not the aduice of any finite and created powers to direct him needs not the assent and aid of any spirit for his execution much lesse of an euill one yet here an euill spirit is brought in by way of vision mixt with parable profeting the seruice of his lie accepted imployed successefull These figures are not void of truth The action and euent is reduced to a decree the decree is shadowed out by the resemblance of humane proceedings All euill motions and counsells are originally from that malignant Spirit That euill spirit could haue no power ouer men but by the permission by the decree of the Almighty That Almighty as he is no Author of sin so he ordinates all euill to good It is good that is iust it is iust that one sinne should be punished by another Satan is herein no other then the executioner of that God who is as far from infusing euill as from not reuenging it Now Ahab sees the ground of that applauded consent of his rabble of Prophets one euil spirit hath no lesse deceiued them then they their master he is one therefore he agrees with himselfe he is euill therefore both he they agree in deceit Oh the noble and vndanted spirit of Micaiah neither the Thrones of the Kings nor the number of the Prophets could abate one word of his true though displeasing message The King of Israel shall heare that he is mis-led by lyers they
them either the blessings or crosses of their parents To heare what his sonne should bee before he was to heare that hee should haue such a sonne A sonne whose birth should concerne the ioy of many A sonne that should be great in the sight of the Lord A sonne that should bee sacred to God filled with God beneficiall to man An harbinger to him that was God and man was newes enough to preuent the Angell and to take away that tongue with amasement which was after lost with incredulity The speech was so good that it sound not a sudden beliefe This good newes surprised Zacharie If the intelligence had taken leisure that his thoughts might haue had time to debate the matter hee had easily apprehended the infinite power of him that had promised the patterne of Abraham and Sara and would soone haue concluded the appearance of the Angell more miraculous than his prediction Whereas now like a man maskered with the strangenesse of that he saw and heard hee misdoubts the message and askes How shall I know Nature was on his side and alledged the impossibility of the euent both from age and barrennesse Supernaturall tidings at the first hearing astonish the heart and are entertained with doubts by those which vpon further acquaintance giue them the best wel-come The weake apprehensions of our imperfect faith are not so much to be censured as pittied It is a sure way for the heart to bee preuented with the assurance of the omnipotent power of God to whom nothing is impossible so shall the hardest points of faith goe downe easily with vs If the eye of our mind looke vpward it shall meete with nothing to auert or interrupt it but if right forward or downeward or round about euery thing is a blocke in our way There is a difference betwixt desire of assurance and vnbeliefe wee cannot bee too carefull to raise vp to our selues arguments to settle our faith although it should be no faith if it had no feete to stand vpon but discursiue In matters of faith if reasons may bee brought for the conuiction of the gaine-sayers it is well if they bee helpes they cannot be grounds of our beliefe In the most faithfull heart there are some sparkes of infidelity so to belieue that we should haue no doubt at all is scarse incident into flesh and bloud It is a great perfection if wee haue attained to ouercome our doubts What did mis-leade Zacharie but that which vses to guide others Reason I am old and my wife is of great age As if yeares and drie loynes could be any let to him which is able of very stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham Faith and reason haue their limits where reason ends faith begins and if reason will be encroching vpon the bounds of faith she is streight taken captiue by infidelity Wee are not fit to follow Christ if wee haue not denied our selues and the chiefe peece of our selues is our reason Wee must yeeld God able to doe that which we 〈◊〉 comprehend and we must 〈◊〉 that by 〈◊〉 faith which is disclâ—â—med by reason Hagar must be driuen out of doores that Sara may rule alone The authoritie of the reporter makes way for beliefe in things which are otherwise hard to passe although in the matters of God we should not so much care who speakes as what is spoken and from whom The Angell tels his name place office vnasked that Zacharie might noâ— thinke any newes impossible that was brought him by an heauenly messenger Euen where there is no vse of language the spirits are distinguished by names and each knowes his owne appellation and others Hee that gaue leaue vnto man his image to giue names vnto all his visible and inferiour creatures did himselfe put names vnto the spirituall and as their name is so are they mighty and glorious But lest Zacharie should no lesse doubt of the stile of the messenger than of the errand it selfe He is at once both confirmed and punished with dumbnesse That tongue which mooued the doubt must be tied vp He shall aske no more questions for fortie weekes because he asked this one distrustfully Neither did Zacharie lose his tongue for the time but his eares also he was not only mute but deafe For otherwise when they came to aske his allowance for the name of his Sonne they needed not to haue demanded it by signes but by words God will not passe ouer slight offences and those which may plead the most colourable pretences in his best children without a sensible checke It is not our holy intirenesse with God that can beare vs out in the least sinne yea rather the more acquaintance we haue with his Maiestie the more sure we are of correction when we offend This may procure vs more fauour in our wel-doing not lesse iustice in euill ZACHARIE staied and the people waited whether some longer discourse betwixt the Angell and him than needed to be recorded or whether astonishment at the apparition and newes with-held him I inquire not the multitude thought him long yet though they could but see a farre off they would not depart till hee returned to blesse them Their patient attendance without shames vs that are hardly perswaded to attend within whiles both our senses are imployed in our diuine seruices and wee are admitted to be coagents with our Ministers At last Zacharie comes out speechlesse and more amazes them with his presence than with his delay The eyes of the multitude that were not worthy to see his vision yet see the signes of his vision that the world might be put into the exspectation of some extraordinarie sequell God makes way for his voice by silence His speech could not haue said so much as his dumbnesse Zacharie would faine haue spoken and could not with vs too many are dumbe and need not Negligence Feare Partialitie stop the mouthes of many which shall once say Woe to mee because I held my peace His hand speakes that which he cannot with his tongue and he makes them by signes to vnderstand that which they might reade in his face Those powers we haue we must vse But though he haue ceased to speake yet he ceased not to minister Hee takes not this dumbnesse for a dismission but stayes out the eight daies of his course as one that knew the eyes and hands and heart would be accepted of that God which had bereaued him of his tongue We may not streight take occasions of withdrawing our selues from the publike seruices of our God much lesse vnder the Gospell The Law which stood much vpon bodily perfection dispensed with age for attendance The Gospell which is all for the soule regards those inward powers which whiles they are vigorous exclude all excuses of our ministration The Annuntiation of CHRIST THe Spirit of God was neuer so accurate in any description as that which concernes the Incarnation of God It was 〈◊〉 no circumsâ—â—ncâ— should bee omitted in